Gold Coin of the Veneti or Namneti

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Celts probably began striking coins in the 200s b.c. after receiving gold and silver pieces from Hellenistic kings who employed Celtic warriors as mercenaries. The coins seen here display motifs derived from Hellenistic coins—a head on one side and a charioteer and horse on the reverse—but their animated design conveys a Celtic aesthetic.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art