Ring Brooch

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Brooches such as this were among the objects most frequently produced by goldsmiths. Simple and repetitive in design, the quality of these forms of adornment could vary widely. This is an example of a more finely wrought gold brooch. In addition to its comparatively lively, vegetal design, it is also embellished with semiprecious stones rather than glass paste.

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