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Source Description
This fibula is one of a pair crafted in a workshop in northern France. The peacock likely reflects Roman or Byzantine influence, as it is not native to northern France. In early Christian art, the peacock was a symbol of immortality. Knowledge of the bird could have passed to northern France through the transmission of Christian iconography in textiles, books, and other portable objects. The fibula originally was one of a pair of brooches worn by women on either side of the chest. A second gold peacock fibula, plausibly the mate to this one, belongs to the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
1573
label
Peacock-Shaped Fibula
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
1573
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Peacock-Shaped Fibula
description
This fibula is one of a pair crafted in a workshop in northern France. The peacock likely reflects Roman or Byzantine influence, as it is not native to northern France. In early Christian art, the peacock was a symbol of immortality. Knowledge of the bird could have passed to northern France through the transmission of Christian iconography in textiles, books, and other portable objects. The fibula originally was one of a pair of brooches worn by women on either side of the chest. A second gold peacock fibula, plausibly the mate to this one, belongs to the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore, [date of acquisition unknown] by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
mid-late 6th century (Early Medieval)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Gold, Silver & Jewelry
fibulae
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
2.9
height
3.9
depth
0.9
dimensionsRaw
H: 1 1/8 x W: 1 1/2 x D: 5/16 in. (2.9 x 3.9 x 0.9 cm)
Source extras
cul
Frankish
med
gold, bronze (over an iron core), garnets, glass
creator_ids
2386
collection_ids
MED
JWL
exhibition_ids
316
604
358
2513
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
fee74e4106ca20fe