In a smaller display case, mounted on a vertical panel, is a large, disc-shaped pin that gleams beneath a small light fixture. About 4.5 inches in diameter and slightly convex, this ninth-century accessory bears a magnificent etched design in burnished silver and niello, a black metallic substance pressed into the grooves. Originally worn at the shoulder to fasten a cloak, the Fuller Brooch (named after its 20th-century donor) is one of the best preserved examples of Anglo-Saxon metalwork and the earliest known depiction of the five senses in art. A similar mix of wit and profundity is readily apparent in the Fuller Brooch’s complex iconography. Many suspect it bears the influence of Alfred the Great (reigned 871–899), a learned Anglo-Saxon king who sparked a revival of religion and literacy after his subjects weathered years of brutal Viking attacks.

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