Migration Period Germanic Bronze D-Shaped Buckle Frame, c. AD 450–600

Migration Period Germanic Bronze Buckle Frame, c. mid-5th–6th Century AD

Cast copper-alloy buckle frame of heavy oval to D-shaped form, with a comparatively straight attachment bar and strongly thickened rounded outer bow. The original tongue and attachment plate are no longer preserved. Dark brown-black patina with minor green oxidation and surface encrustation; frame intact.

The form finds close parallels among late Migration Period Germanic buckles of the 5th–6th centuries AD, including examples associated with the material culture of the Hunnic-confederation and Gepidic regions. Related buckles employ thick oval or D-shaped loops, frequently with an enlarged forward section; such forms spread widely through Germanic Europe during the Migration Period. Owing to its relatively compact dimensions, this example was probably intended for a narrow belt or secondary equipment strap rather than one of the exceptionally broad military belts represented by larger examples.

24 × 15 mm. 6.1 g.

Provenance: From an old American collection.

Condition: Buckle frame intact; tongue and plate absent. Attractive dark patina.