BUCKLE

An incomplete late Roman (AD 350-450) copper alloy zoomorphic buckle frame of Hawkes and Dunning type IB, missing its pin. The frame is D-shaped and formed of two confronted dolphins, surmounted on the outside edge by a pair of outwards-facing horse-heads perched on their crests. The horse-heads have faceted edges to the front while the reverse is flat. The buckle frame itself has a curving edge to the front, and is flat to the back (D-shaped cross-section).

The dolphins have open jaws with a lozenge shape between. This has three moulded grooves, presumably for the pin rest, and is triangular in cross-section, the apex being formed of a zig-zag line. Each dolphin has a punched circle for an eye. The horses also have a punched circle for an eye, one of which appears to be more of a ring-and-dot or perhaps a double circle. Punched arcs flank the edges of the horse-heads and diagonal grooves on the upper faceted edge suggest a mane. Of interest, the line of arcs immediately below this to the horse on the left (if viewed with the horse-heads uppermost) are arranged alternately curve-down and curve-up.

The pin bar is circular in cross section (2.7mm diameter) and has iron staining, as does the lozenge between the dolphins.
The reverse of the frame is undecorated but there are patches of uneven surface, perhaps from the casting process. The buckle has a mid-green/ grey-blue patina, smooth to touch and shiny. It measures 29.7mm by 28.2mm and is 3.9mm thick. The internal D-shaped area measures 13.3x19.8mm. The buckle weighs 8.2g.