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Amatory Brooch

ca. 1340–60
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 02
In terms of its function, decoration, and inscription, this intimate piece of jewelry conveys the chivalric ideal of love. Made in the shape of the letter E, the brooch has a hinged cover that allowed it to function as a locket. The cover bears the figure of a man holding arrows aimed at his heart, while the interior inscription (in a Saxon dialect?) reads: • V/REWELININ • VRME DEI + HRZE • LEVE• /NSTE • MOIS IC IN • /•SIN (Fair lady, may I always remain close to your heart.)

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Amatory Brooch
  • Date: ca. 1340–60
  • Geography: Made in Saxony, Germany or South Germany
  • Culture: German
  • Medium: Gold and freshwater pearl
  • Dimensions: Overall (closed): 1 1/4 x 7/8 x 1 1/2 in. (3.2 x 2.2 x 3.8 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Gold
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1986
  • Object Number: 1986.386
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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