DOCSLIB.ORG

On the Ancient Fibulae

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
On the Ancient Fibulae IJCC, Vol. 8, No. 2, 71 〜84(2005) 11 A Study on the Ancient Fibulae Moon-Ja Kim 十 Dept, of Clothing & Textiles, Suwon University (Received May 9, 2005 : Accepted October 10, 2005) Abstract Fibulae have been used as clothing fasteners throughout history. They were especially popular with the Celts, but were also used by the Greeks, Romans, Saxons, and Vikings, to name a few. The earliest examples are found in the Mediterranean and Middle East, and date from 800 B. C. and earlier. Their use continues today, in the form of the modern safety pin. The first fibulae of the Bronze Age were very simple, much like modern safety pins. The form of this small junctional object varies from simple to extravagant since it is also seen as a piece of jewelry, and is thus subject to the evolution of style. Its size depends on the thickness of the clothing to be attached. Its fabrication demonstrates a great mastery of metal work. Fibulae would vary with the taste and wealth of the wearer. The Fibulae were divided into 10 styles according to the shape, Fibulae with Safety pin shaped style, Penannular shaped style, Animal shaped style, Diamond shaped style, Radiated head shaped style, Horsefly shaped style, Arched bow shaped style, Fan-shaped style, Trumpet shaped style, Arched-fan shaped style. Key words : fibulae, safety pin shaped style, penannular shaped style, radiated head shaped style, horsefly shaped style. wise (to our modem view of their shape), and I ・ Introduction not necessarily singly (a matter as dependent on the wearer's wealth as upon any dictates of fa­ Fibular brooches have been in use from deep shion; 'restrained and tasteful' were not serious in the Bronze Age, and they remain in use considerations). today in the form of the safety pin. This par­ There have been so many variants of fibular ticular design, a type known as a "radiate" or brooches that it would be risky to go beyond "radiated fibula" brooch, bears primarily Anglo- saying they have a head (behind which the pin Saxon and Scandinavian design features typical is mounted) and a foot (behind which the catch­ of the 6th century. plate is mounted) linked by an arch of varying Equipped with quite sturdy pins by modem characteristics, and with a pin which is sprung standards, fibular brooches could be used as fas­ (as opposed to hinged). Like many ancient pie­ tenings fbr clothing as well as fbr pure decora­ ces which were entirely decorated with abstract tion. The 'head' was not necessarily worn at the scroll designs, the decoration of the particular top, as burial evidence indicates. Again based piece is largely abstract, but rather than decorate on burial finds, some wore their brooches side­ the entire piece in scrolls, includes an animal fi­ E-mail : [email protected] 71 12 A Study on the Ancient Fibulae IJCC nial on the foot in a rather Anglo-Saxon style. and bracelets, and the eighth century Greeks must The purpose of this study is researching and have provided the wide arc-shaped Fibulae used classifying the types of the style of the Fibulae for fastening one comer of the shawl on the left from the burial mounds of ancient chiefs. shoulder -as Indian women still fasten their saris The method of this research is through the in place; this use of large pins was in fact known antique records and the plate of the tombs be­ in Mycenae as early as in the seventeenth cen­ quests hereby deals with the characteristics of tury BC.5) Fibulae is divided into the types according to The Fibulae were used by the Romans to fa­ the shapes in ancient period, from 800 B. C. sten their garments including their togas. Fibulae and earlier to 7〜8 C AD, in Celts, Greeks, Ro­ were made in gold, silver and bronze with va­ mans, Saxons, and Vikings, to name a few. rious designs. The wide variety of designs often invented by Celtic artisans, make and interesting II. Buried Treasures of Ancient and intriguing collection found at ancient Etrus­ can sites feature decorative granulation as well Fibulae as a sharp Fibulae pin to do the actual work of In 1400-1200 B.C. man's costume from Muld- piercing fabric. bjerg includes a cloak, cap, wraparound body After the fall of Rome, Roman jewelry forms costume and a foot cloths. The cloak had the and techniques remained in general use. Barba­ fold for the roll collar is parallel to the selvage. rian tribes from eastern Europe, who were skilled A pair of two piece Fibulae(an early but orna­ at metalwork, combined such elements of the ment form of safety pin) was inserted at center Roman artistic tradition as gold filigree and the back in the fold forming the collar.1* fibula form with the Byzantine cloisonne tradi­ The use of the Fibulae was common to the tion. They also introduced their own regional early peoples of Central Europe, from which re­ variations. For example, the fibular, pinlike brooch gion it must have been introduced by the style became a circular one; these revised-style Achaean invaders into Greece.* 2) brooches have been found in Gaul (France) and In the Greek period, Chiton was a rectangular Scandinavia. Penannular brooches, in the form piece of woolen or linen fabric sewn partway up of a ring with a pin held in place by the weight the sides and fastened on each shoulder by a of the cloth it pierced, were common in Ireland Fibular. and Scotland. A famous example is the Tara Fibulae were the sort of clasps or buckles brooch (National Museum, Dublin). The princi­ resembling our safety pin and was introduced by pal motifs were stylized anim시 s and intricate the Dorians about 1100 B.C.3) A Fibula-a form interlacing. of clasp or brooch-was essential for fastening An important technique in medieval jewelry the chlamys and some forms of the chiton. Fi­ was the use of garnet slices set, like enamel, bulae would vary with the taste and wealth of into metal cells. Examples are garnet-inlaid bu­ the wearer.4) ckles and clasps from the 7th-century Sutton Hoo The Hittites and Persians must have taken from ship burial in Suffolk (British Museum) and a crown inlaid with garnets and cabochon (round­ the Assyrians the style of their wide necklaces 미 anche Payne, History of costume (New York: Harper & Row Pub., 1965), 56. 2 Ethel, B., and Abrahams, M. A., Greek dress (London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, W, 1908), 5. 3 R. Tuner Wilcox, The mode in costume (New York: Charles Scribbler's Sons, 1958), 11. 4 Blanche Payne, Op. cit., 76. 5 Francois Boucher, 20000 years of fashion (London: Thames & Hudson, 1967), 64. 72 Vol. 8, No. 2 The International Journal of Costume Culture 13 ed) gems (Real Ameria, Madrid), which be­ came to be known as the peculiar "Scythian ani- longed to the Visigothic king Recceswinth. The mal" style. Techniques, which had once been ra­ famous Alfred jewel (9th century, Ashmolean ther primitive, improved considerably during the Museum, Oxford) is an example of cloisonne. prosperous times of the Scythian State. Styliza­ Quite different are Celtic gold torques, rigid bands tion of images developed into a realistic method that encircled the neck or arm of the wearer. of interpreting complicated zoomorphic compo­ Some of the most interesting traces were the sitions. ornaments of the People of the ancient Stone We can do no more than observe from ob­ Age. At the beginning they consisted simply of jects discovered in excavation, a distant Myce­ magic parts of the Cosmos: flowers, feather, wood, naean influence, arrested in Italy by the presen­ bone, stone, and body drawings. ce of bronze fibulae which indicate the use of Those ancient peoples, whom we call Try- draped costume. The costume, Eastern-influenced pillians, sometimes found metal under their feet like the head-dress is composed of a long tunic and worked at it. Having learnt to extract the and cloak fastened on the right shoulder by a metal from ore, they began to fbrge it in the square fibula.7) fire and cast it into forms. Artisans of the Bron­ The Sarmathians conquered the Scythian king­ ze Age made armlets, hairpins, pendants, and dom and thus occupied their giving area. This Fibulae. Lost-wax casting and forging became culture brought along new traditions. Polychrome common techniques6) style, the most characteristic of which, is a Those who called themselves Cimmerians were process by which an animal's body is covered the first foreigners on this terrain. They brought with inserts of blue paste or turquoise in sol­ with them many new ideas. Their vision of the dered mountings. environment was reflected in their floristic or Greek art of the Black Sea region made some animalistic compositions, made of bronze or some­ changes to the Sarmathian style. Most notably it times iron. increased the color range. Interestingly, together Fertile soils and generous nature along the with precious metals and gems glass is found in Black Sea coast and the Dnipro riverside attrac­ the jewelry of this time. Often made in this ted Hellenes as long ago as in the Iron Age. At style were Greek brooch-Fibulae. the same time, Scythians, who had come from Besides Sarmathian, Celtic art began to penet­ Asia and replaced Cimmerians, appeared on the rate into southern regions of Ukrainian territory. territory, which lay farther to the North. They In Roman provinces the so-called Renaissance resided here for a long time and appeared to be of Celtic handicraft took place, in particular, it suitable trade partners and rich customers for was manifested in the form of jewelry.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Hunnic Warfare in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries C.E.: Archery and the Collapse of the Western Roman Empire
    HUNNIC WARFARE IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH CENTURIES C.E.: ARCHERY AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE A Thesis Submitted to the Committee of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Science. TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada © Copyright by Laura E. Fyfe 2016 Anthropology M.A. Graduate Program January 2017 ABSTRACT Hunnic Warfare in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries C.E.: Archery and the Collapse of the Western Roman Empire Laura E. Fyfe The Huns are one of the most misunderstood and mythologized barbarian invaders encountered by the Roman Empire. They were described by their contemporaries as savage nomadic warriors with superior archery skills, and it is this image that has been written into the history of the fall of the Western Roman Empire and influenced studies of Late Antiquity through countless generations of scholarship. This study examines evidence of Hunnic archery, questions the acceptance and significance of the “Hunnic archer” image, and situates Hunnic archery within the context of the fall of the Western Roman Empire. To achieve a more accurate picture of the importance of archery in Hunnic warfare and society, this study undertakes a mortuary analysis of burial sites associated with the Huns in Europe, a tactical and logistical study of mounted archery and Late Roman and Hunnic military engagements, and an analysis of the primary and secondary literature. Keywords: Archer, Archery, Army, Arrow, Barbarian, Bow, Burial Assemblages, Byzantine, Collapse, Composite Bow, Frontier, Hun, Logistics, Migration Period, Roman, Roman Empire, Tactics, Weapons Graves ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and Natural History
    Proceedingsof the SUFFOLK INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY 4 °4vv.es`Egi vI V°BkIAS VOLUME XXV, PART 1 (published 1950) PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY BY W. E. HARRISON & SONS, LTD., THE ANCIENT HOUSE, IPSWI611. The costof publishing this paper has beenpartially defrayedby a Grant from the Council for British Archeology. THE SUTTON HOO SHIP-BURIAL Recenttheoriesand somecommentsongeneralinterpretation By R. L. S. BRUCE-MITFORD, SEC. S.A. INTRODUCTION The Sutton Hoo ship-burial was discovered more than ten years ago. During these years especially since the end of the war in Europe has made it possible to continue the treatment and study of the finds and proceed with comparative research, its deep significance for general and art history, Old English literature and European archmology has become more and more evident. Yet much uncertainty prevails on general issues. Many questions cannot receive their final answer until the remaining mounds of the grave-field have been excavated. Others can be answered, or at any rate clarified, now. The purpose of this article is to clarify the broad position of the burial in English history and archmology. For example, it has been said that ' practically the whole of the Sutton Hoo ship-treasure is an importation from the Uppland province of Sweden. The great bulk of the work was produced in Sweden itself.' 1 Another writer claims that the Sutton Hoo ship- burial is the grave of a Swedish chief or king.' Clearly we must establish whether it is part of English archxology, or of Swedish, before we can start to draw from it the implications that we are impatient to draw.
    [Show full text]
  • The Garnet Carbuncle in Early Medieval Europe
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works School of Arts & Sciences Theses Hunter College Spring 5-15-2020 Sacred Blood and Burning Coal: The Garnet Carbuncle in Early Medieval Europe Sinead L. Murphy CUNY Hunter College How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/591 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Sacred Blood and Burning Coal: The Garnet Carbuncle in Early Medieval Europe by Sinead Murphy Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Art History, Hunter College The City University of New York Spring 2020 May 15th, 2020 Cynthia Hahn Date Thesis Sponsor May 15th, 2020 Maria Loh Date Second Reader i Table of Contents List of Illustrations ii Introduction: Garnets in the Merovingian Period…………………………………………………1 Chapter 1: Garnet in Classical and Early Medieval Texts……………………………………….11 I. Carbuncle and Anthrax in Classical and Early Medieval Lapidaries II. Carbuncle in Scripture and Christian Lapidaries III. Pagan Influence on the Christian Symbolism of Garnets Chapter 2: Garnets in Everyday Life…………………………………………………………….34 I. Garnet Jewelry in Frankish Costume II. Garnet Ecclesiastical Objects Chapter 3: The Role of Garnets in Christian Funerary Ritual…………………………………...49 I. Prayers for the Dead II. Grave Goods and Dressed Burials III. Metaphorical Representations of Carbuncle Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….59 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………..60 Illustrations………………………………………………………………………………………64 i List of Illustrations Fig. 1: Pair of quatrefoil mounts, Early Byzantine, 2nd half of 5th century.
    [Show full text]
  • Prehistoric, Environmental and Historical Context
    Sutton Hoo 10 Chapter 10 5/12/05 2:12 PM Page 361 Part III Context Sutton Hoo 10 Chapter 10 5/12/05 2:12 PM Page 362 Sutton Hoo 10 Chapter 10 5/12/05 2:12 PM Page 363 Chapter 10 Environment and site formation Martin Carver (with contributions by Charles French and Rob Scaife,and using specialist studies by Steven Rothera) Introduction which can be dug out in lumps (‘crag’). The soil above the The Deben valley runs through a region of sandy flat seaboard subsoil is generally 300–400 mm of well-mixed ploughsoil, territory known as The Sandlings (Figure 13; Plate 1:b). Between either still under the plough, or capped by tough springy turf. them its two rivers, the Deben and the Alde, give access to an Buried soil under the mounds has also been ploughed, and lies archipelago of promontories and islands with woods, pasture, some 250–400 mm thick. arable, meadows, marshland and fishing grounds (Scarfe 1986 The studies described in this chapter concern the and 1987; Warner 1996). The Sutton Hoo cemetery is situated on development of soils and vegetation at the site and its immediate the 33 m (100 ft) contour, on a sand terrace east of the River surroundings. The purpose of these studies was, first, to produce Deben, about 15.5 km (10 miles) upstream from the North Sea – an environmental history for the use of the land before the 10 km (6.25 miles), as the crow flies, from the nearest sea-coast mounds were built and, second, to produce a sequence of the at Hollesley.
    [Show full text]
  • Direct Evidence of a Large Northern European Roman Period Martial Event and Post-Battle Corpse Manipulation
    Direct evidence of a large Northern European Roman period martial event and post-battle corpse manipulation Mads Kähler Holsta,b, Jan Heinemeierc, Ejvind Hertzd, Peter Jensenb,e, Mette Løvschalb,1, Lene Mollerupd, Bent Vad Odgaardf, Jesper Olsenc, Niels Emil Søef, and Søren Munch Kristiansenf aMoesgaard Museum, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark; bDepartment of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark; cAarhus AMS Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; dMuseum Skanderborg, 8660 Skanderborg, Denmark; eArchaeological IT, Aarhus University and Moesgaard Museum, 8270 Højbjerg, Denmark; and fDepartment of Geoscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark Edited by George R. Milner, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, and accepted by Editorial Board Member Elsa M. Redmond April 12, 2018 (received for review December 13, 2017) New archaeological excavations at Alken Enge, Jutland, Denmark, period from 200 BC to AD 200 represents a lacuna before have revealed a comprehensive assemblage of disarticulated human the comprehensive postbattle weapon depositions (AD 200– remains within a 75-ha wetland area. A minimum of 82 individuals 550) (9). The historical sources indicate early large-scale mili- have been uncovered. Based on the distribution, the total population tary capabilities among the Germanic populations, but the is estimated to be greater than 380 individuals, exclusively male and numbers are highly uncertain and they refer primarily to con- predominantly adult. The chronological radiocarbon evidence of the flicts with the Romans (10, 11). human bones indicates that they belong to a single, large event in the The period has traditionally been seen as a form of tribal society early first century AD.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 35 / No. 1 / 2016
    GemmologyThe Journal of Volume 35 / No. 1 / 2016 The Gemmological Association of Great Britain Save the date Gem-A Conference Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 November 2016 Visit www.gem-a.com for the latest information Join us. The Gemmological Association of Great Britain, 21 Ely Place, London, EC1N 6TD, UK. T: +44 (0)20 7404 3334 F: +44 (0)20 7404 8843. Registered charity no. 1109555. A company limited by guarantee and registered in England No. 1945780. Registered Office: 3rd Floor, 1-4 Argyll Street, London W1F 7LD. Conference_03-2016_March-April_Save The Date_A4.indd 1 12/04/2016 10:44:17 Contents GemmologyThe Journal of Volume 35 / No. 1 / 2016 COLUMNS p. 22 1 What’s New DiamondDect for diamond identification|Triple D photo kit|Upgraded Diamond- View|Variofoc LED lighting system|AGTA Tucson seminars| Responsible sourcing of coloured stones report|World Gold Council report|GSJ 2015 Annual Meeting abstracts|ICGL Newsletter|Large CVD synthetic diamond seen p. 64 by HRD Antwerp|MAGI diamond type report|SSEF Facette|Updated Journal cumulative index|Wyoming jade report|GemeSquare app and GemePrice 5.0|Historical reading lists|Hyperion inclusion search engine|Gems from the French Crown Jewels exhibit ARTICLES 6 Gem Notes Apatite from Iran|Purple apa- Feature Articles tite from Namibia|Cordierite from Madagascar|Emerald 28 Characterization of Oriented Inclusions in Cat’s-eye, and pyrite mixture from Co- Star and Other Chrysoberyls lombia|Garnet from Mahenge, By Karl Schmetzer, Heinz-Jürgen Bernhardt and H. Albert Gilg Tanzania|Grandidierite from
    [Show full text]
  • I EARLY MEDIEVAL WARFARE OBJECTS from the CENTRAL
    EARLY MEDIEVAL WARFARE OBJECTS FROM THE CENTRAL BALKANS by Jelena Jaric (Macedonia) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Masters of Arts degree in Medieval Studies Accepted in conformance with the standards of CEU External Examiner CEU eTD Collection Budapest i May 2009 I, the undersigned, Jelena Jaric, candidate for the MA degree in Medieval Studies declare herewith that the present thesis is exclusively my own work, based on my reseach and only such external information as properly credited in notes and bibliography. I declare that no unidentified and illegitimate use was made of the work of others, and no part of the thesis infringes on any person’s or institution’s copyright. I also declare that no part of the thesis has been submitted in this form to any other institution of higher education for an academic degree. Budapest, 25 May 2009 Signature CEU eTD Collection ii EARLY MEDIEVAL WARFARE OBJECTS FROM CENTRAL BALKANS by Jelena Jaric (Macedonia) Thesis submitted to the Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University, Budapest, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Masters of Arts degree in Medieval Studies Accepted in conformance with the standards of CEU Chair, Examination Committee Thesis Supervisor CEU eTD Collection Examiner Budapest May 2009 iii Jelena Jaric EARLY MEDIEVAL WARFARE OBJECTS FROM CENTRAL BALKANS MA Thesis in Medieval Studies Central European University CEU eTD Collection Budapest May 2009 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people without who this thesis would not have been written. I would like to start with my professors and supervisors from my old college, Elica Maneva and Katerina Hristovska, to whom I owe my love for archaeology and my love for the Middle Ages.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Provincial Roman and Barbarian Metalwork and Jewelry
    GUIDE TO PROVINCIAL ROMAN AND BARBARIAN METALWORI< AND JEWELRY IN THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART Guide to Provincial Roman and Barbarian Metalworl< and Jewelry in The Metropolitan Museum of Art KATHARINE REYNOLDS BROWN To the ancient Greeks, a barbarian, or foreigner, was a person who could not speak Greek, someone outside Hellenistic culture and therefore un­ civilized. For the Romans, however, the term carried fewer pejorative connotations; it simply denoted one who spoke neither Greek nor Latin. The barbarians were often welcomed and respected within the Roman Empire, where some lived by peaceful agreement, many guarding the borders as foederates, or auxiliary troops. Others invaded and devastated parts of the western half of the Roman Empire. The barbarians consisted of various Germanic tribes who gradually settled in western Europe be­ tween the fourth and seventh centuries A.D., and, because their movements characterized this period, it is usually referred to as the migration period. The portable art of these migrating Germanic tribes, together with the enamel and metalworking techniques already being practiced in the late Roman Empire, laid the foundation for the splendid metalwork of the medieval period. Barbarian art is dedicated to the ornamentation of those weapons and articles that a warrior and his wife could carry on their persons. Jewelry and weapons revealed the status of the barbarian warrior in a military society and were buried with him in his tomb, along with other portable objects, some of which were imbued with protective or apotropaic virtues. Like most Greeks and Romans, the Germans at first cremated their dead, but from the fourth century they shifted to inhu­ mation under influences from the Near East.
    [Show full text]
  • Jewelry – Lapidary Achievement Division 2 Ages 9 to 11
    Jewelry – Lapidary Achievement Division 2 Ages 9 to 11 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I am the parent or legal guardian of the minor whose name appears below. They have my permission to participate in this program. I have read and understand the SCA’s Policies affecting Youth and been provided with a copy of “How to Protect Your Children from Child Abuse”. Signature of Parent or Guardian: __________________________________ Date: __________________________________________ I desire that the Achievement Token, when eligible to be worn, be presented in the following manner by/at: ( ) Privately, by the parent/guardian ( ) At a local group event at the discretion of the Group Seneschal ( ) At a Baronial Event at the discretion of the Territorial Baron/Baroness ( ) At a Kingdom or Principality Level Event at the discretion of the Crown/Coronet ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Participant’s Name: Kingdom/Group: Mentor’s Name/Mbr # : Mentor’s Kingdom: Start Date: Completion Date: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please submit errors, omissions, comments or suggestions for changes to help improve this worksheet to: [email protected] ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • Summer 1985 Gems & Gemology
    SUMMER 1985 Volume 21 Number 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE 63 Pearl Fashion Through the Ages ARTICLES Dona M,Dirlam, Elise B. Misiorowski, and Sally A. Thomas Russian Flux-Grown Synthetic Emeralds John I. Koivula and Peter C. Keller Gem Pegmatites of Minas Gerais, Brazil: The Tourmalines of the Governador Valadares District Keith Proctor t, NOTES . i . 105 The Eyepiece Pointer: A Useful Microscope Accessory AND NEW' C. W.Fryer and John I. Koivula TECHNIQUES REGULAR 108 Gem Trade Lab Notes FEATURES 115 Editorial Forum Gem News Gemological Abstracts ABOUT THE COVER: For thousands of years, mankind has been fascinated by pearls. Virtually every civilization has revered their natural beauty, and considered them to be among the most precious ofgems. This issue features a review of [.hehistory of pearl fashion, ancient to modern, in the Mediterranean, Western Europe, and the United States. The signed Cartier Art Deco mystery clock pictured here demonstrates one of the many ingenious ways that pearls have been incorporatedinto jewelry and objets d'art throughout the ages. It is fabricatedofgoldandplatinum with a citrine face. The hands are set with diamonds, and pearl studs mark the hours. The clock rests on a pearl-fringed saddle that sits on a chalcedony chimera set with cabochon emerald eyes. Twocoral frogsobserve from a nephrite base. The entire piece measures 13.7 x 7.2 x 17.3 crn {5% x 2% x 6% in.). Photo courtesy of Cariier, Inc. Typesetting for Gems a) Gemology is by Scientific Composition, Los Angeles, CA. Color separa- lions are by Effective Graphics, Compton, CA.
    [Show full text]
  • Of the Baltic Crossbow Brooches in the Migration Period
    The Main Stylistic Features of the Baltic Crossbow Brooches in the Migration Period AUDRONE BLluJIENE Introduction. In the complicated situation of the Great Migration Period in Europe Baltic culture and the territory are recognized by researchers as a most stable area in Central Europe in its permanent development from Roman Iron Age into the Early Middle Ages (Godlowski 1970; Okulicz 1973; Michelbertas,1986; Tautavi5ius 1996). However in the middle of the first millenium the Baltic people experienced changes in territory and in their social - economical life, mostly related to the processes of the Great Migration period in Europe. All of the Baltic tribes later mentioned in written sources emerged in the late fourth and fifth centuries ITautavi6ius 1996: 44+5, fig.1 ). In the middle of the first millenium, the changing population size transformed the network of settlements and domestic intertribal trade routes in the existing ethnic-cultural areas. In the great changes of the Migration period the Baltic tribes which were living in the huge territory from Samland Peninsula and the Mazurian Lakeland to western and central Lithuania and, as the last year data show, eastern part of Lithuania was involved in this process. Samland Peninsula and Olsztyn culture unit ("mazur- germanische" Kultur) had the most special position in the Migration period. 0lsztyn culture unit was unique for this part of Europe because of the wealth of their artifacts, which had features typical to the interregional Germanic culture. Perhaps the hypothesis that Olsztyn group was formed by Galindai, who returned to their homeland, after migrating with the Goths and other tribes, has a real background (Sturms 1 950: 22; Nowakowski 1 989: 120-123).
    [Show full text]
  • 17293001 a Large Belt Buckle Inlaid with Garnet and Lapis Lazuli Visigothic Spain C
    17293001 A large belt buckle inlaid with garnet and lapis lazuli Visigothic Spain c. 550-600 CE 13.4 x 6.1 x 2.6 cm; Copper alloy with garnets, glass, lapis lazuli, and cuttlefish bone. Some replaced inlays. Provenance S.Benzaquen Family, Gibraltar, 1960s; Private Collection, New York, by 1981 Exhibited Exhibited: Museo National in Mexico City, 1993 The Meadows Museum, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, September 11- November 9, 1992. Published Spain: A Heritage Rediscovered BC 300- AD 711, New York, 1992, no. 159 This extremely large bronze buckle, inlaid with a dazzling combination of garnets, lapis lazuli, green glass and cuttlefish bone set over gold foil, belongs to a class of object that epitomises more than any other the incredible dexterity of Visigothic goldsmiths working in Spain in the late sixth century. It is thought that buckles of this type were worn on leather belts over women's tunics rather than to secure their mantles – as was the case with the more common fibula buckle type. The buckle’s size and rich décor of precious stones would have been a very visible symbol of a woman’s high status in Visigothic society. The Visigoths migrated to the Iberian Peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire in the early fifth century, establishing a kingdom there by the middle of the 5th century. In this early part of their history, the rulers were largely war chiefs and mostly illiterate. However, by the middle of the 6th century, King Leovigild (568 – 586) and his son, King Recared (586 – 601), came to power, helping to create a more stable government.
    [Show full text]