The Early Medieval period (approximately A.D. 400-800) has traditionally been referred to as the Dark Ages or the Migration Period, yet the objects of personal adornment and everyday use from this era-from elaborate weapon fittings and ornate buckles to intricate jewelry-reveal a considerably more complex picture. In this book European and American specialists discuss the holdings of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in this area, presenting the first comprehensive study of this rich repository of arts from the many cultures and peoples forming early Europe, among them the Ostrogoths, Langobards, Franks, and Anglo-Saxons.

Of interest to scholars and laypersons, the publication of this book coincides with the opening of the Museum's new galleries for the arts of Byzantium and the Early Medieval period. It also inaugurates a series that will present the results of Metropolitan symposia at which scholars assess various aspects of the Museum's collections.