Metropolitan Museum VII

Diadem Copper alloy Bronze Age Made 1200-800 BC in the Carpathian Basin region, east-central Europe Accession # 2000.281.1 It is not clear how this headpiece would have been worn, though stone sculptures from an earlier period suggest that the spiral terminals would have been in the back, pointing downward. Diadems, which are extremely rare, were probably worn exclusively by women and children of high rank. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Diadem Copper alloy Bronze Age Made 1200-800 BC in the Carpathian Basin region, east-central Europe Accession # 50.200 Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Title: Large Brooch and Armbands with Spirals Date: 1400–1100 B.C. Culture: German Medium: Copper alloy Dimensions: Overall: 10 3/16 x 4 1/2 x 3 1/16 in. (25.8 x 11.5 x 7.8 cm) Classification: Metalwork-Copper alloy Credit Line: Gift of Josef and Brigitte Hatzenbuehler, 2007 Accession Number: 2007.498.7a, b Text from: www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/mediev...

Gold Ornaments Bronze Age Made about 900-600 BC in Ireland Accession # 47.100.9, .10 Though objects such as these are conventionally called "dress fasteners" and "sleeve fasteners," their exact purpose is unknown. It has been proposed that the smaller "sleeve fastener" worked much like a modern cufflink: the disks would have been drawn through slits in the garment. The "dress fastener" may have been secured by loops sewn onto the garment. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Gold Disk from a Reel Bronze Age, found in Enniscorthy, southeastern Ireland Made about 800 BC Accession # 47.100.14 Ireland experienced a period of resurgence in the production of goldwork during the late Bronze Age. Numerous objects noteworthy for their gold content, innovative forms, and sophisticated decoration still survive. Alongside such objects of personal adornment such as gold collars, craftsmen produced rings, cylindrical boxes, and spools or bobbins, which were probably created for purely votive or ritual purposes. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Neck Ring Copper alloy Bronze Age Made 600 BC in Scandinavia Accession # 1987.395 Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Horse-Shaped Brooch Copper alloy Celtic Made 650-550 BC in Central Europe Accession # 1992.107 Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Brooch Copper alloy Celtic Made about 600 BC in northern Italy Accession # 17.192.251a,b Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

S-Shaped Brooch Copper alloy Celtic Made 600-500 BC Accession # 1992.280.3 Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Bow-shaped brooch Copper alloy Celtic Made 475-400 BC, probably in northern France Accession # 17.191.112 Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Buckle, 2nd century b.c.; European Iron Age Celto-Iberian; Spain Leaded bronze, silver, iron a: L. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm), W. 2 5/8 in. (6.6 cm); b: L. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm), W. 2 9/16 in. (6.5 cm) Rogers Fund, 1990 (1990.62 ab) This bronze and silver buckle is unusual in that both its top and bottom plaque are preserved, along with remains of the iron rivets used to attach it to a leather belt. Small figurines show warriors wearing similar clasps, suggesting this was designed for use by a soldier. It is typical of a type of buckle produced in the central plain region of the Iberian Peninsula, where silver is found in the Sierra Morena mountains. In design it is closely related to engraved examples of artwork in Andalusia in the southwest of Spain, a province that strongly influenced the artistic development of the rest of Iberia. Opposing spirals were a popular motif in Celtic art and were often combined with concentric circles on buckles such as this one. The design was created by carving out a pattern on a bronze panel, and then hammering a thin sheet of silver into the indentations. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1990.62ab

Sword with Three Mounts, mid-1st century B.C.; Late Iron Age (La Tène) Celtic Iron blade, copper alloy hilt and scabbard; L. 19 3/4 in. (50 cm) Rogers Fund, 1999 (1999.94a-d) This magnificent anthropomorphic Celtic sword is also one of the best preserved. The beautifully modeled head that terminates the hilt is one of the finest surviving images of a Celtic warrior. The human form of the hilt—appearing as a geometric reduction of a classical warrior—must have been intended to enhance the power of the owner and to bear a talismanic significance. The face is emphatically articulated with large almond eyes, and the head with omega-shaped and finely drawn hair. Although the scabbard has become amalgamated to the iron blade, affecting parts of the surface, its ornamentation and the exquisitely worked hilt make the whole an evocative statement about the technical ability of the Celts, the powerful conquerors of ancient Europe. The sword is of a type associated with the La Tène culture, named after the important Celtic site on Lake Neuchâtel in present-day Switzerland and eastern France. Other related anthropomorphic swords from diverse finds in France, Ireland, and the British Isles demonstrate the expansion of the Celts across Europe. As the first such example in the Museum's collection, the sword is a superb and singular example that richly adds to a select group of Celtic works of art. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=17&vie...

Sword with Three Mounts, mid-1st century B.C.; Late Iron Age (La Tène) Celtic Iron blade, copper alloy hilt and scabbard; L. 19 3/4 in. (50 cm) Rogers Fund, 1999 (1999.94a-d) This magnificent anthropomorphic Celtic sword is also one of the best preserved. The beautifully modeled head that terminates the hilt is one of the finest surviving images of a Celtic warrior. The human form of the hilt—appearing as a geometric reduction of a classical warrior—must have been intended to enhance the power of the owner and to bear a talismanic significance. The face is emphatically articulated with large almond eyes, and the head with omega-shaped and finely drawn hair. Although the scabbard has become amalgamated to the iron blade, affecting parts of the surface, its ornamentation and the exquisitely worked hilt make the whole an evocative statement about the technical ability of the Celts, the powerful conquerors of ancient Europe. The sword is of a type associated with the La Tène culture, named after the important Celtic site on Lake Neuchâtel in present-day Switzerland and eastern France. Other related anthropomorphic swords from diverse finds in France, Ireland, and the British Isles demonstrate the expansion of the Celts across Europe. As the first such example in the Museum's collection, the sword is a superb and singular example that richly adds to a select group of Celtic works of art. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=17&vie...

Terret (Rein Guide) Copper alloy with champleve enamel Celtic or Roman Made 1-100 in Britain Accession # 1988.79 The Celts' use of chariots in warfare was legendary in the ancient world. This terret, made at the time of Rome's conquest of Britain, comes from one of numerous Celtic workshops that specialized in the production of richly decorated, high-quality enamel fittings for horse and chariot. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Bracelet with Spiral Designs Copper alloy Celtic Made 200-100 BC Accession # 17.191.243 Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Two Gold Coins of the Parisii Celtic Made 200-100 BC in the region of Paris Accession # 17.191.120-.121 The Celts probably began striking coins in the 200s BC after receiving gold and silver pieces from Hellenistic kings who employed Celtic warriors as mercenaries. The coins here display motifs derived from Hellenistic coins- a head one one side and a charioteer and horse on the reverse- but their animated design conveys a Celtic aesthetic. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Two Gold Coins of the Parisii Celtic Made 200-100 BC in the region of Paris Accession # 17.191.120-.121 The Celts probably began striking coins in the 200s BC after receiving gold and silver pieces from Hellenistic kings who employed Celtic warriors as mercenaries. The coins here display motifs derived from Hellenistic coins- a head one one side and a charioteer and horse on the reverse- but their animated design conveys a Celtic aesthetic. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.