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Early medieval art: c. 500-800 C.E.

In the fifth century C.E., people from tribes called Angles, Saxons and Jutes left their homelands in northern Europe to look for a new home. They knew that the Romans had recently left the green land of Britain unguarded, so they sailed across the channel in small wooden boats. The Britons did not give in without a fight, but after many years the invaders managed to overcome them and were to rule for over 500 years.

Skellig Michael monastery (Ireland), 6th–13th centuries (most of the stone construction dates to 8th–11th centuries) — This dramatic island off the coast of Ireland was once a place for monks to remove themselves from the world

Skellig Michael

by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank and Dr. Steven Zucker

Book of Kells, c. 800, 340 vellum folios, 33.0 x 25.5 cm each (edges trimmed and gilded in the 19th century), MS 58 (Trinity College Library, Dublin) — Snakes, peacocks, lions, hares, mice, and more — in the Book of Kells.

The Book of Kells

by Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank and Dr. Steven Zucker

kells grid — Dr Rachel Moss explores the hidden meanings behind the illustrations of the Book of Kells.

Symbolism in the Book of Kells

by Trinity College Library, Dublin

classical past grid — The classical past continued to shape and influence readers throughout the Middle Ages.

The classical past

by The British Library

medieval map world grid — The idea of place in the early Middle Ages transcended space and time.

Mapping the world

by The British Library

The Utrecht Psalter, c. 825, Hautvilliers, near Reims, France, 380 x 310 mm (Universiteitsbibliotheek, Utrecht, MS 32, ff. 7v–8r), courtesy Universiteitsbibliothek, Utrecht — Expressive, emotional, and energetic, the Utrecht Psalter is not what you expect in a book written 1200 years ago.

The Utrecht Psalter and its influence

by Dr. Kathleen Doyle, The British Library and Dr. Beth Harris

Codex Amiatinus, before 716, made at Wearmouth-Jarrow, c. 505 x 340 mm (Florence, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, MS Amiatino 1) © Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana — One of the oldest surviving bibles was made in England but has clear visual ties to traditions from the ancient Mediterranean.

Codex Amiatinus, the oldest complete Latin Bible

by Dr. Claire Breay, The British Library and Dr. Beth Harris

Belt Buckle, Sutton Hoo, early 7th century, gold, 13.2 x 5.6 cm © Trustees of the British Museum — Excavated in 1939, this 7th-century grave once held a hoard of metalwork, all buried within a 27-meter long ship!

Sutton Hoo Ship Burial

by The British Museum

The Sutton Hoo purse lid- detail — Rendered in gold and garnet, the enigmatic animals on this purse lid stand out above white bone.

The Sutton Hoo purse lid

by The British Museum

The Sutton Hoo helmet, early 7th century, iron and tinned copper alloy helmet, consisting of many pieces of iron, now built into a reconstruction, 31.8 x 21.5 cm (as restored) © Trustees of the British Museum — Restored, dismantled, and restored again, this helmet was a pile of rusted iron and tinned bronze when first discovered.

The Sutton Hoo helmet

by The British Museum

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

Brooch from Chessell Down

by The British Museum

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

Decoding Anglo-Saxon art

by The British Museum

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

Anglo-Saxon England

by The British Museum

Sutton Hoo ship-burial helmet, iron, copper alloy, gold, tin, garnet, and silver, c. 600-650 C.E., 31.8 x 21.5 x 25.5 (The British Museum) — 1400 years ago, Anglo-Saxons hauled a ship up a hilltop and buried their king and his treasure within.

Sutton Hoo Ship Burial (video)

by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker

The Lindisfarne Gospels, c. 700 (Northumbria), 340 x 250 mm (British Library, Cotton MS Nero D IV) © 2019 British Library, used by permission — The “cross-carpet” pages of this early 8th-century manuscript weave together birds, knots, spirals—and the Cross.

The Lindisfarne Gospels

by Dr. Kathleen Doyle, The British Library and Louisa Woodville

Crossbow brooch, c. 430, Metropolitan Museum — These ornate brooches were trendy accessories in the 5th and 6th centuries. Pin, body, and catch form a “crossbow.”

Fibulae