Element of a Border for an Icon Frame
Unknown Artist
10th century
Medium
Cloisonné enamel, gold
Dimensions
Overall: 1/4 x 1 7/16 x 1/16 in. (0.7 x 3.7 x 0.2 cm)
Classification
Enamels-Cloisonné
Culture
Byzantine
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.656
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Element of a Border for Icon Frame*, crafted in the 10th century by an unknown Byzantine artist, exemplifies exquisite metalwork of the Medieval Byzantine world. Measuring just a quarter-inch high and under two inches long, this tiny gold piece was part of a larger ornate frame surrounding a religious icon—sacred images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, or saints that were venerated in Byzantine churches and homes. During the 10th century, the Empire flourished as a cultural bridge between East and West, blending Christian devotion with imperial splendor. The artwork's medium, cloiso...