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Gold sheet appliques

1st half of the 5th century CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 301
These delicate objects come from the Crimea in the Ukraine, where they adorned the grave clothing of eastern Germanic men and women buried there in the fifth century A.D. Sewn onto the sleeves and necklines of the garments, these appliqués are made from thin gold foil, which was punched and pressed to create various patterns. The decoration of festive and official attire with small gold appliqués had a long tradition in the Crimea. Ancient texts describe one third-century ruler of the Bosporan kingdom as wearing a robe decorated with several hundreds of them.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Gold sheet appliques
  • Period: Migration
  • Date: 1st half of the 5th century CE
  • Culture: East Germanic or nomadic (?)
  • Medium: Gold
  • Dimensions: (Type A): 9/16 × 3/8 × 1/16 in. (1.4 × 1 × 0.2 cm)
    (Type B): 7/16 × 1/4 × 1/16 in. (1.1 × 0.6 × 0.2 cm)
  • Classification: Gold and Silver
  • Credit Line: Purchase, 1898
  • Object Number: 98.11.71
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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Gold sheet appliques - East Germanic or nomadic (?) - Migration - The Metropolitan Museum of Art