Roundel with a Personification of the Moon
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
- 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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