Early medieval art

Christianity flourished in the early middle ages and this shift dramatically affected the art that was created across Europe.

c. 500 - 800 C.E.

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Expressive, emotional, and energetic, the Utrecht Psalter is not what you expect in a book written 1200 years ago.

One of the oldest surviving bibles was made in England but has clear visual ties to traditions from the ancient Mediterranean.

Excavated in 1939, this 7th-century grave once held a hoard of metalwork, all buried within a 27-meter long ship!

Rendered in gold and garnet, the enigmatic animals on this purse lid stand out above white bone.

Restored, dismantled, and restored again, this helmet was a pile of rusted iron and tinned bronze when first discovered.

Masks and scrolls adorn the square head of this silver-gilt brooch. Extravagant but functional, it fastened clothes.

Stylistic analysis of these brooches and buckles might seem straightforward, but their designs riddle even experts.

After crossing the Channel and invading Britain, the Anglo-Saxons ruled for 500 years. Rings offer clues to their society.

1400 years ago, Anglo-Saxons hauled a ship up a hilltop and buried their king and his treasure within.

The “cross-carpet” pages of this early 8th-century manuscript weave together birds, knots, spirals—and the Cross.

These ornate brooches were trendy accessories in the 5th and 6th centuries. Pin, body, and catch form a “crossbow.”

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