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Ring Brooch

13th century
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 02
This elegant brooch, which might have been used to secure a lady’s cloak or tunic, displays a touching inscription: "I am here in place of a (male) friend." Was it a gift from a lover? A keepsake of courtship? Or a stand-in for an absent beau?

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Ring Brooch
  • Date: 13th century
  • Culture: French or British
  • Medium: Gold and garnet
  • Dimensions: 5/8 × 13/16 × 3/16 in. (1.6 × 2.1 × 0.5 cm)
    Other (pin only): 11/16 × 1/16 in. (1.7 × 0.2 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Gold
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Diane Carol Brandt Gift, in memory of her husband, Martin Lewis, 2018
  • Object Number: 2018.355
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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