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Crossbow Fibula
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
A fibula was a garment clasp that functioned somewhat like a modern safety pin. Since buttons were not used in antiquity, fibulae were used to keep a cloak closed. They were worn by both men and women, commonly on the right shoulder, and produced in various sizes and shapes. Because they were highly visible accessories, they often received decorative gilding, inlay decoration, or "onion"- shaped domes. Crossbow fibulae were introduced by the Romans and are named for their resemblance to the weapon. Decorative and technical features of this group suggest they may have been made in Roman-occupied Britain.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineCrossbow Fibula, c. 350–400. Gallo-Roman or Romano-British, Migration period, 4th century. Bronze, gilt-bronze, silver, and niello; overall: 8.6 x 7 cm (3 3/8 x 2 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1930.225
