Belt Buckle
| Culture | Byzantine |
|---|---|
| Title | Belt Buckle |
| Date | 500–700 CE |
| Medium | Gold |
| Dimensions | Overall: 3 1/4 x 1 3/16 in. (8.3 x 3.1 cm) |
| Credit Line | Burton Y. Berry Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 76.80.7 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
Buckle with plate decorated in openwork floral designs.
The plain loop with the little decorated tongue is hinged to the beltplate, fastened with a bronze pin. The beltplate bears a rich repoussé decoration, subdivided into four parts: the connection at the hinge with a tendril pattern, centering around an anchor-like design; the two pointed leaves with their sharp tips turning outward, set into a border of thick, raised reel pattern, which also separates the two forms between them; and the major portion, with the continuous ribbed pattern framing a pointed leaf shape, directed toward the loop. A sequence of nine large half-sphere borders the sunken center; in the inscribed pointed heart at the center a five-leafed palmette appears. This latter design corresponds to the punched stylized tree pattern on the top side of the tongue. The sides of the buckles have been bent down and are prepared to be fastened onto the belt.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
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Cite this page
"Belt Buckle | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=76.80.7