Artwork Page for Fibula with Solar Design

Details / Information for Fibula with Solar Design

Fibula with Solar Design

c. 700–675 BCE

Greece, Boeotia

Medium
bronze
Measurements
Overall: 15.4 x 11.2 cm (6 1/16 x 4 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1999.9
Public Domain
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Location
102B Greek
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Did You Know?

A fibula is an ancient safety pin that held garments in place.

Description

The crescent body of this bronze fibula (brooch) features both incised and punched decoration. Three sets of three arrows have been interpreted as indicating the daily route of the sun, shown at the arc’s center as a series of radiating punch marks within a shallowly incised circle. When worn, the arc may have hung downward, a large ornamental addition to the functional pin used to secure its wearer’s clothing.
A bronze brooch arches into a wide, mottled green and brown crescent. A thin horizontal pin spans the opening, curling into a tight spiral at one end and resting in a flat, square clasp at the other. Ridged collars mark the tips of the body, which is etched with a central starburst and diagonal bands of fine lines. Delicate hatching follows the broad outer curve, while a weathered patina coats the metal's surface.

Fibula with Solar Design

c. 700–675 BCE

Greece, Boeotia

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