Map of the “barbarian” invasions of the Roman Empire showing the major incursions from 100 to 500 CE.
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The fall of the Roman Empire sometimes between the 5th to 10th century led to the Early Medieval period. There were many waves of people who moved from Central Europe to Western Europe during 300-900 AC which formed the Migration period.
Migration art indicates the artwork of the Germanic people at this time. Most migration art is portable because of the mobile population. There is no monumental art work showing in this style. The most significant identity of art work in the Celtic-Germanic style (also known as animal style) are treasures. The Celtic and Germanic people carried small, precious treasures to show their prestige. The images below show samples of the metal and wood carving works in this style.
Purse cover, from the Sutton Hoo ship burial in Suffolk, England, ca. 625. Gold, glass, and cloisonné garnets, 7 1/2” long.
British Museum, London.
Pair of Merovingian looped fibulae, from Jouy-le-Comte, France, mid-sixth century. Silver gilt worked in filigree, with inlays of garnets and other stones, 4” high. Musée d’Archéologie nationale, Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
- Belt buckle, from the Sutton Hoo ship burial in Suffolk, England, ca. 625. Gold, 5 1/4″ long. British Museum, London.
Animal-head post, from the Viking ship burial, Oseberg, Norway, ca. 825. Wood, head 5” high. University Museum of National
Antiquities, Oslo.
Wooden portal of the stave church at Urnes,
Norway, ca. 1050–1070.
Based on the art work above, the breakdown of the Migration style is as follows,
Material: Material used in this style is mainly gold, bronze, silver, wood, cloisonne, garnets and semi-precious as well as precious stones.
Composition: Metal vine frames, interlace and symmetry.
Pattern/Texture: netting patterns, abstract and interlaced animals.
Shape/Form: abstract and interlaced animals. circular forms.
Color: Wide range of colors from garnets, stones and gold pigment.
Lines: Lines are curve-linear. Some lines are used to define the metal vine frames.
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