The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of August 17, 2022

Fibulae

500s-600s

Part of a set. See all set records

Alemannic, Migration Period, 6th-7th century

Cast silver, parcel-gilt, with niello

Overall: 10.5 x 6.5 x 2 cm (4 1/8 x 2 9/16 x 13/16 in.)

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2000.119.1

Location

106A Migration Period & Coptic

Description

A woman of high rank might have worn these twin fibulae on her shoulders, one fastening her inner garment on the right, the other her outer garment on the left. She might also have suspended them from her belt as decorative ornaments.

Provenance
Marcus Hollersberger, Munich; [Artemis Fine Art, London]; [Robert Haber & Associates, New York]
Citations
Cleveland Museum of Art, “Recent Acquisitions Press Release,” December 12, 2000, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
Cleveland Museum of Art, and Holger A. Klein. Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 108-109, no. 34
Exhibition history

Bavarian Nationalmuseum, Munich (5/10/2007 - 9/16/2007), the J. Paul Getty Musuem, Los Angeles (10/30/2007 - 1/20/2008) and Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, TN (2/13/2009 - 6/7/2009): "Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art"

Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. National Museum of Bavaria, Munich, Germany (May 10-September 16, 2007); J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA (October 30, 2007-January 20, 2008); Frist Art Museum, Nashville, TN (February 13-June 7, 2009).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2000.119.1