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Roundel with a Personification of the Moon

ca. 860–890
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 304
This plaque is one of the earliest known examples of the cloisonné-enamel technique in the West. The moon (luna) is symbolically represented here as a female sky goddess riding in a chariot and holding torches. The plaque originally would have been accompanied by another, with an image of the sun, both probably framing a large crucifix.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Roundel with a Personification of the Moon
  • Date: ca. 860–890
  • Geography: Made in south central France
  • Culture: Carolingian
  • Medium: Cloisonné enamel, Copper alloy, gilding, iron back plate
  • Dimensions: Overall: 3 3/8 x 1/4 in. (8.6 x 0.6 cm)
  • Classification: Enamels-Cloisonné
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.190.688
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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