Belt Buckle
Unknown Artist
mid-500s
Medium
Copper alloy, tinned surface
Dimensions
Overall: 3 9/16 x 1 7/8 x 11/16 in. (9.1 x 4.7 x 1.8 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Copper
Culture
Frankish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.193.129
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Frankish belt buckle, dating to the mid-500s, hails from the early Merovingian period when the Franks—a Germanic people—dominated much of western Europe, laying the foundations for medieval France and Germany. Crafted from copper alloy with a tinned surface that mimics the luster of silver, it measures a compact 3 9/16 x 1 7/8 x 11/16, perfect for securing a warrior's or noble's belt. Such accessories were more than functional; they symbolized status and wealth in a turbulent era of migrations and conquests. The tinned finish highlights sophisticated metalworking techniques of ...