Artwork Page for Crossbow Fibula

Details / Information for Crossbow Fibula

Crossbow Fibula

c. 350–400

Gallo-Roman or Romano-British, Migration period, 4th century

Medium
bronze, gilt-bronze, silver, and niello
Measurements
Overall: 8.6 x 7 cm (3 3/8 x 2 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1930.225
Public Domain
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Location
106A Migration Period & Coptic
Print

Description

A fibula was a garment clasp that functioned somewhat like a modern safety pin. Since buttons were not used in antiquity, fibulae were used to keep a cloak closed. They were worn by both men and women, commonly on the right shoulder, and produced in various sizes and shapes. Because they were highly visible accessories, they often received decorative gilding, inlay decoration, or "onion"- shaped domes. Crossbow fibulae were introduced by the Romans and are named for their resemblance to the weapon. Decorative and technical features of this group suggest they may have been made in Roman-occupied Britain.
A bronze buckle, aged with a green patina and dark brown corrosion, features two hinged sections. A thick, textured oval ring on the left has a wide pin extending across its center. On the right, an oval plate holds five deep red garnets. A central, teardrop-shaped stone is nested within four segments with scalloped, wavy borders. Traces of gold gilding line the metal settings around the translucent crimson gems.

Crossbow Fibula

c. 350–400

Gallo-Roman or Romano-British, Migration period, 4th century

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