The Colmar Treasure

• Offers new scholarship examining the mysteries of the treasure and attempts to answer the many questions left behind
• Provides new insight into Jewish life in the Middle Ages
• The majority of the objects are on loan from the Musée de Cluny, Paris
• Features extremely rare objects, including a stunning ring made for a Jewish wedding ceremony

During a 19th century renovation of a confectioner’s shop in the town of Colmar, France, workers chanced upon a previous hoard of medieval jewelry and coins hidden in a wall. The cache – known as the Colmar Treasure – is thought to have been concealed by a Jewish family prior to the outbreak of the Plague in 1348, when Jews across the region were tragically scapegoated and put to violent death. This exquisite volume, published to accompany an exhibition at The Met Cloisters, examines their legacy through the lens of the Colmar treasure, shedding light on what it reveals about the work, homes, worship and values of its owners.

Barbara Drake Boehm is the Paul and Jill Ruddock Senior Curator for The Met Cloisters.