A HUNNISH GOLD AND GARNET BELT BUCKLE

CIRCA EARLY TO MID 5TH CENTURY A.D.

Details

A HUNNISH GOLD AND GARNET BELT BUCKLE
circa early to mid 5th century a.d.
With a circular loop, round at the bottom, flat at the top, and narrowing at the join to the folded, projecting flap of the plate, divided into fifteen trapezoidal cloison cells inlaid with a flat garnet (three missing), the club-shaped tongue sharply angled near its end, secured to the loop by means of a hook, with four rectangular cloison cells inlaid with garnet, the circular plate drum-shaped with three projecting cylindrical collars for the now-missing attachment rivets originally pinned through to the backplate, with a central circular cell from which radiate nine triangular and trapezoidal cloison cells inlaid with flat garnets
2¼ in. (5.7 cm.) long

Literature

de Linas, 1887, pl. C 13 (where the findspot is given as St. Germain-en-Laye, north of Paris)
Jewels of the Barbarians, Michael Ward, Inc., New York, 1985, no. 7.

Lot Essay

This type of buckle is generally associated with the Huns. Related examples are also found in western Europe, where many Germanic tribes had developed a taste for fine gold and garnet inlaid jewelry. Although the find-spot for this buckle of St. Germain-en-Laye listed by de Linas seems rather too far west, the style does recall the treasure from the tomb of Childeric near Tournai, Belgium.