Art of the Migration

  • Huns first make contact with the Goths

  • Visigoths sack Rome then set up a kingdom in southern Gaul. Later forced into Spain

  • Vandals: northern Germany to north coast of Africa, later Sicily

  • Burgundians: Settle in East cent. France

  • Franks: Settle in Sen Valley

  • Saxons, Angles, Danes from Scandinavia

    • Saxons and Angles flood into Britain

  • “Dark Ages” because knowledge of this period is very vague

  • Scythian Pectoral:

    • North of the Black Sea
    • quazi nomadic Asian
    • Animal Combat scenes

  • Sutton Hoo Ship Burial, Suffolk, England, ca.625

    • Filled w/ many small objects from Scandinavia
    • Chief Status
    • Silver bowls, Roman coins, Christian Artifacts
    • Shoulder Clasp: Gold and colored enamel chips fused
    • Cloisonné: creating designs on metal with enamel/ colored glass paste
    • abstract animal hunt scene
    • no references to Roman World
    • Purse found: no leather left, 40 coins, 7 1/2 inches long
    • Purse Cover
    • cloisonne compartments
    • heavily abstracted animals
      • master of the animals motif
    • Brooch
    • Heavily stylized braids of snakes

  • Manuscript Illumination: hand-written books with painted decoration that generally includes precious metals such as gold or silver.

  • Book of Durrow, Carpet Page, late 7th cent.

    • Carpet page because of the rectangular form possibly Islamic influence
    • Celtic patterns, with small cross in the center of the medallion

  • Book of Durrow, St. Matthew

    • beginning page of book of Matthew
    • skewed perspective, stylized face
    • cloisonné clothing

  • Book of Durrow, St. Mark

    • Artistic/decorative form of Lion

  • Book of Kells, late 7th Cent.

    • Eagle: evangelist symbol of St. John

  • Merovingian Brooch, ca. 600

    • Brooch: big safety pins for garments
    • stylized Eagle

  • Echternach Gospels St. Matthew, late 7th Cent.

    • Brighter yellow,
    • tear drop shaped cloisons

  • Lindesfarne Gospels, Carpet Page, early 8th cent.

    • stylized cross
    • interlacing snakes

  • Lindesfarne Gospels, St. Matthew, early 8th cent.

    • Matthew writing his book w/ angel above him
    • Greek and Latin inscriptions

  • Codex Amiantinus, Ezra, from Jarrowm early 8th cent.

    • Illumination of Ezra writing in a book
    • Ezra has more volume denoting possible training
    • bookshelves w/ orthangonals
    • Irish/British?

  • Oseberg Ship Burial, Norway, ca. 825

    • remains of 2 women

  • Bow Sprit

    • expressiveness, powerful emotion