Works of Art
Merovingian Gold Earring
Period: 550 A.D.
Culture: Dark Age
Category: Array
Dimensions: Diameter: 4.8 cm, Bead: 2 cm
Price: CHF 57500, USD 57500
Provenance: Axel Weber, Cologne.
Condition: Pristine state of preservation, intact with all inlays remaining.
Description
This is an exceptionally large earring from the Merovingian period in central Europe, more specifically the Rheinland. This piece is in fact the largest exemplary known of this type of earring. This fine earring consists of a tapered twisted square section rod. Onto one end of this rod is threaded, a large cut-cornered cube bead of sheet gold (4 squares and 8 triangles). Each face of this bead supports a setting containing a flat-cut garnet. Each setting is bordered with fine beaded wire and the two ends of the bead have small grains on beaded wire circles and a beaded wire collar to the perforation. The garnets are backed with the fine gold foil with impressed 'waffle' pattern as is typical for much of the finer Dark Age European garnet-set jewellery. A similar piece, but smaller, could be seen in the Bargello Museum in Florence.
Bibliography
CHRISTLEIN R., Die Alamannen, Archaeologie eines lebendigen Volkes, Stuttgart, 1979, pl. 46, 60.
HUBERT J. et al., L'Europe des invasions, Paris, 1967.