Gilt Bronze Clasp in the Cloisters, October 2010

Clasp

Date: ca. 1200

Geography: Made in Meuse Valley, South Netherlands

Culture: South Netherlandish

Medium: Copper alloy, gilding

Dimensions: Overall: 2 1/8 x 2 7/8 x 5/8 in. (5.4 x 7.3 x 1.6 cm)

Classification: Metalwork-Bronze

Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1947

Accession Number: 47.101.48

Description:
The monumental, classicizing figure style and the soft, tubular drapery typify the transitional style of around 1200. The masterful rendering of this object has led scholars to associate it with the work of Nicholas of Verdun, an outstanding goldsmith of the period. The figures have been generally thought to represent Solomon and Sheba, but they have also been interpreted as Esther and Ahasuerus. A similar clasp was excavated at Dune in Gotland; although the style is different, parallels in iconography suggest a common traditional source. The clasp was probably intended as a girdle or cloak closure.

Text from: metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/471284