Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Rock Crystal Belt Buckle

ca. 500 (buckle), 500–600 (tongue)
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 301
It is impossible to know precisely when the delicate gold tongue was added to the buckle, but the ensemble conveys the ease with which Byzantine and Germanic styles were combined.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Rock Crystal Belt Buckle
  • Date: ca. 500 (buckle), 500–600 (tongue)
  • Culture: East German (buckle), Byzantine (tongue)
  • Medium: Rock crystal, gold foil
  • Dimensions: Overall: 1 3/4 x 1 9/16 x 11/16 in. (4.5 x 4 x 1.8 cm)
  • Classification: Lapidary Work-Crystal
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Rogers Fund; Alastair B. Martin, William Kelly Simpson, Scher Chemicals Inc. and Max Falk Gifts; and funds from various donors, 1995
  • Object Number: 1995.54
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

More Artwork

More Artwork
Ganymede jewelry, Gold, rock crystal, emerald, Greek
Ganymede jewelry
Greek
ca. 330–300 BCE
Glass "Claw" Beaker, Glass, Frankish
Glass "Claw" Beaker
Frankish
5th–6th century
Set of jewelry, Gold, glass, rock crystal, agate, carnelian, Etruscan
Set of jewelry
Etruscan
early 5th century BCE
Plate with the Battle of David and Goliath, Silver, Byzantine
Plate with the Battle of David and Goliath
Byzantine
629–30
Pendant reliquary with depiction of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, Gold, rock crystal, enamel, verre églomisé, Spanish
Pendant reliquary with depiction of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist
Spanish
16th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.