Belt Buckle, 550–600
Visigothic
Copper alloy, cells inset with garnets, glass, lapis lazuli, and cuttlefish bone; 2 3/8 x 3 3/4 in. (6 x 9.5 cm)
Rogers Fund, 1988 (1988.305 ab)
Technical Glossary
Visigothic
Copper alloy, cells inset with garnets, glass, lapis lazuli, and cuttlefish bone; 2 3/8 x 3 3/4 in. (6 x 9.5 cm)
Rogers Fund, 1988 (1988.305 ab)
The belt buckle was a field for elaborate decoration and a very visible symbol of rank and status. Brightly colored buckles inset with pieces of glass and stone are characteristic of Visigothic women's dress. This piece is exceptional for the rare inclusion of lapis lazuli, a stone used more frequently in Byzantium.
Open full-size image
Related Index Terms
Material and Technique
Object
Technical Glossary
- • bone
- • cuttlefish bone
- • garnet
- • glass
- • lapis lazuli
