Lot Essay
All perhaps from Syria.
CIRCA 5TH CENTURY A.D.
Details
THREE BYZANTINE ANTIQUITIES
circa 5th century a.d.
Including a gilt bronze belt buckle with a narrow oval loop and a club-shaped tongue, both joined to the rectangular attachment plate by a folded tongue-shaped flap, the plate with slightly concave sides and a raised central field, in the center an oval mother-of-pearl inlay with a cut-out figure of a dove originally inlaid in another material, surrounded by inlays of red and blue glass, with three pins for attachment of the back-plate; a bronze belt buckle of similar construction, the attachment plate with eleven cloison cells set with blue, red, and white glass inlays, the central diamond-shaped inlay itself inlaid with five red disks; and a bronze counter-plate from a buckle with a raised central field with a central mother-of-pearl inlay with a cut-out figure of a dove inlaid with green stone, the legs, wings, tail and beak incised, an incised motif below, a Greek inscription above reading "health," surrounded by inlays of iridescent glass, rivets in the corner for attachment to the back-plate
1 7/8 in. (4.75 cm.) long for the first (3)
circa 5th century a.d.
Including a gilt bronze belt buckle with a narrow oval loop and a club-shaped tongue, both joined to the rectangular attachment plate by a folded tongue-shaped flap, the plate with slightly concave sides and a raised central field, in the center an oval mother-of-pearl inlay with a cut-out figure of a dove originally inlaid in another material, surrounded by inlays of red and blue glass, with three pins for attachment of the back-plate; a bronze belt buckle of similar construction, the attachment plate with eleven cloison cells set with blue, red, and white glass inlays, the central diamond-shaped inlay itself inlaid with five red disks; and a bronze counter-plate from a buckle with a raised central field with a central mother-of-pearl inlay with a cut-out figure of a dove inlaid with green stone, the legs, wings, tail and beak incised, an incised motif below, a Greek inscription above reading "health," surrounded by inlays of iridescent glass, rivets in the corner for attachment to the back-plate
1 7/8 in. (4.75 cm.) long for the first (3)
Provenance
Sternberg 1992, pl. 31, no. 684 for the second.