About the book
Jewelry holds a special significance in all cultures The jewelry worn in medieval Europe was important as an indicator of the wearer’s social status and wealth, faith and superstition, allegiances and literacy. This stunning book draws on the major collection at the V&A to focus on the heart of the Medieval period from 1100 to 1500.
Royalty and the nobility wore gold, silver, or precious gems, while humbler ranks wore base metals, copper or pewter, sometimes set with colored glass, in imitation of gems. This richly illustrated book, one of very few on this subject, looks at the jewels themselves—rings, bracelets, necklaces, amulets, crosses and crucifixes—as well as contemporary portraits and sculpture to place the jewelry in its cultural context.
About the author
Marian Campbell is a Senior Curator of Metalwork in the Department of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass at the V&A. She has lectured in major museums in Europe and America, and written widely on metalwork of all periods. She is author of Introduction to Medieval Enamels and Decorative Ironwork and a contributor to Gothic: Art for England 1400–1547.