Masterpieces: Early Medieval Art

This beautiful volume presents a history of Europe and the Mediterranean from the end of the Roman Empire to the twelfth century, as told through objects in the British Museum. Richly illustrated, this book will showcase some of the collection’s most outstanding and internationally renowned artefacts, such as the Projecta Casket, the treasures from the Sutton Hoo ship burial and the Fuller Brooch. The discussion of each object will provide a fascinating insight into their makers and owners as well as the world in which they were created. Drawn from all the major cultures of the period and covering an extensive geographical and chronological sweep, this publication celebrates the artistic accomplishment of objects made from a varied and attractive array of materials such as gold, silver, precious stones, ivory, glass, ceramics and textiles. This approach bridges the gap that is commonly presented between the Mediterranean and the North of Europe, the Empire (whether Roman or Byzantine) and the ‘barbarian’ world in a period that saw Christianity established as a major religion as well as the rise of Islam.