Avar Treasure
The Avar Treasure, also called Vrap Treasure, is an ensemble currently in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The various vessel making up the ensemble were found in Vrap, Albania, and have been attributed to the Avars. On the other hand, the treasure is attributed also to the closely related Bulgars.
| The Avar Treasure | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Year | c. 600-700 A.D |
| Medium | Gold, silver |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
The Avars were a nomadic people from the steppes of Eurasia who arrived in the Balkans in the 6th century AD. Being a warlike people, the Avars warred with and subjugated much of the local population, and occasionally clashed with the Byzantine Empire.[1][2] Through these conquests, the Avars were able to amass considerable amounts of treasure, some of which was buried en masse near Avar settlements. The origin of the treasures found is disputed; some posit that the Avars were themselves skilled metalworkers, while others believe that the valuable objects (including gold jars, cups, and dishes) found in Avar hoards were made in Byzantium and then either looted or given as tribute to the Avars.[1][2]
The ensemble housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was recovered from the Albanian village of Vrap (which rose to international prominence in 1902 when a cache of Avar gold and silver was found in the village)[2] in the early 20th century and given to the museum by J. P. Morgan Jr. in 1917. The ensemble consists of several gold cups, a silver bucket, several drinking dishes and a jug.[1][2]
References
- "The Avar Treasure | Avar or Byzantine | The Met". metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
- Apple Jr., R. W. (November 7, 1981). "RARE GOLD OF THE AVARS TO BE SOLD AT AUCTION". Retrieved 2018-07-24.
Further reading
- Holcomb, Melanie (2018). "Avar Treasure". In Nicholson, Oliver (ed.). The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-866277-8.