Miniature Square-Headed Brooch
Unknown Artist
500–550
Medium
Silver-gilt; iron pin
Dimensions
Overall: 1 3/4 x 5/8 x 3/8 in. (4.5 x 1.6 x 0.9 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Silver
Culture
Anglo-Saxon
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.191.46
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Miniature Square-Head Brooch, crafted by an unknown Anglo-Saxon artisan around 500–550 CE, exemplifies the masterful metalwork of early medieval England during the Migration Period. Anglo-Saxon brooches like this one were essential fasteners for cloaks and garments doubling as symbols of status and identity. Its square-headed design is a hallmark of the era, reflecting the intricate jewelry traditions that bridged pagan and emerging Christian influences in post-Roman Britain. Made of silver-gilt with an iron pin, theoch showcases sophisticated techniques: the silver base was gi...