Arkivism
Belt Buckle and Tab
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Belt Buckle and Tab

600s · iron with silver overlay

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

This buckle would have been attached to a strip of leather worn around the waist. It was likely both an ornamental statement indicating social rank and a practical accessory. The decorative inlay was applied by forcing silver wire into a pattern engraved into the iron. The condition of the buckle indicates that it was likely excavated, perhaps from a grave.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineBelt Buckle and Tab, 600s. Frankish, Migration period. Iron with silver overlay; overall: 10.2 x 5.9 cm (4 x 2 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1919.1009

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