The Musée d’Orsay’s hare-shaped teapot by Émile Reiber transforms function into sculpture, reflecting Japonism’s playful naturalism and cross-cultural exchange that reshaped European decorative arts in the late nineteenth century vividly.
Byzantine Engagement Ring in the Stathatos Collection
Love, faith, and dynasty — a Byzantine engagement ring from the Stathatos Collection reveals the extraordinary world of a prominent family whose story ends at the fall of Constantinople.
Enkolpion with Nativity
The Dumbarton Oaks Enkolpion beautifully unites faith and craftsmanship, its intricate scenes of the Virgin and Christ’s life reflecting Byzantine devotion, protection, and theological storytelling in wearable form.
Pair of Byzantine Gold Perikarpia from Thessaloniki
In Byzantine culture, bejewelled perikarpia served as symbols of status and protection — these extraordinary wristbands from Thessaloniki reveal a city’s turbulent history, buried twice to survive centuries of conflict.
The Treasure of Childeric I
Childeric I’s golden bees — stolen, partially lost, yet immortalized on Napoleon’s coronation robe — connect a 5th-century Frankish king to France’s grandest imperial ambitions and enduring national identity.
The Lilies of the Valley Fabergé Egg
Fabergé’s Lilies of the Valley Egg — pink enamel, pearl blossoms, hidden Romanov portraits — captures Imperial Russia’s breathtaking opulence and tender family devotion in one exquisite Art Nouveau masterpiece.
Puabi’s Tomb and Magnificent Jewels
At Royal Cemetery of Ur, Puabi emerges as a figure of power and splendor, her golden regalia and lapis-lazuli adornments reflecting elite status, ritual authority, and the enduring legacy of early Mesopotamian civilization.
Gold Medallion of Saint John the Forerunner
Medallion of Saint John the Forerunner reflects Byzantine devotional artistry, where gold, enamel, and sacred portraiture converge to express intercession, spiritual hierarchy, and the solemn beauty of divine mediation.
Michael Attaleiates’s Ring at Dumbarton Oaks
Ring of Michael Attaleiates, now at Dumbarton Oaks, unites inscription, portraiture, and devotion, revealing Byzantine identity through a rare personal object of prayer, status, and artistic refinement.
Pectoral with Coins and Pseudo-Medallion
Explore the opulent Byzantine Imperial Neck Ring at the Met — a breathtaking gold pectoral adorned with coins and medallions, symbolising power, faith, and the grandeur of Byzantine imperial authority.