Roman Disk Brooch in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, April 2010

Disk Brooch
Copper alloy inlaid with millefiore enamel.
Roman
Made 100-300, probably in Gaul

Accession # 2002.483.2

Millefiore enameling was widely popular in Gaul, where it was often used to decorate disk brooches and vessels. In this technique, the artist fuses together glass rods of different colors. The multi-colored rods are then cut into cross-sections, which are then placed in a metal base and heated sufficiently for them to adhere. The result is an intricate pattern of flowers and checkerboards.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.