Necklace
Unknown Artist
5th–7th century
Medium
Glass, shell, glazed earthenware (faience)
Dimensions
Overall: length of string 28 1/8 x 11/16 in. (71.5 x 1.8 cm)
Classification
Glass-Beads
Culture
Frankish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.193.94
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Frankish necklace, dating to the 5th–7th century, offers a glimpse into the daily adornments of early medieval Europe during the Merovingian period. Crafted by an unknown artisan, it reflects the vibrant material culture of the Franks, a Germanic people who established kingdoms across what is now France and Germany after the fall of Rome. Such necklaces were likely worn by women as personal jewelry, possibly signifying status, identity, or protection in a time of cultural transition. The necklace's beads—made from colorful glass, polished shell, and glazed earthenware (faience)...