Pair of Bird-Shaped Brooches, 550–600
Frankish
Gold sheet, cloisonné cells inset with garnets, glass, and pearl, garnets backed with patterned foil
Frankish
Gold sheet, cloisonné cells inset with garnets, glass, and pearl, garnets backed with patterned foil
Diam. 1 1/4 in. (3.3 cm)
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.191.164-165)
From the mid-fourth to the mid-sixth century, Frankish women generally wore pairs of small brooches, in an array of inventive shapes, to hold in place a light wrap that covered the upper part of the chest. Birds were a favorite form, though this pair stands out for the copious use of garnet and the refined shape.
