BUCKLE

A medieval copper-alloy single-loop buckle with rectangular copper-alloy plate and copper-alloy pin

The plate comprises two sub-rectangular halves joined by a pair of folded tabs which hold the frame. The larger upper plate is decorated by a relief-moulded bird, which stands to the left, its long, elaborate tail curving back towards the head and bifurcating into a pair of spirals. A plain rectangular border surrounds the design and traces of gilding can be seen on the surface. A pair of copper-alloy rivets, located at the top and bottom right-hand corners respectively, join the upper plate to the smaller lower plate.

The D-shaped frame has steeply sloping surfaces and reaches its maximum width at the centre of the outer side. Traces of an incised and gilded design can be discerned on the outer surface of the frame, and this design is flanked by a pair of perimeter grooves, which extend parallel to both the top and bottom edges. The axis bar is offset; the pin, made from a flattened and tapering piece of copper-alloy wire, has been looped around the axis bar and sits between the two aforementioned plate tabs.

Length: 32.7mm; width: 20.1mm; thickness/depth: 7.9mm. Weight: 5.1g.

Close parallels for this piece can be found at CAM-810C77, BERK-700C61, LVPL-D5B693, LEIC-FA1ECC, etc. They may all originally have been enamelled and may draw their inspiration from workshops at Limoges.