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Rock Crystal Belt Buckle

ca. 500 (buckle), 500–600 (tongue)
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 301
It is impossible to know precisely when the delicate gold tongue was added to the buckle, but the ensemble conveys the ease with which Byzantine and Germanic styles were combined.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Rock Crystal Belt Buckle
  • Date: ca. 500 (buckle), 500–600 (tongue)
  • Culture: East German (buckle), Byzantine (tongue)
  • Medium: Rock crystal, gold foil
  • Dimensions: Overall: 1 3/4 x 1 9/16 x 11/16 in. (4.5 x 4 x 1.8 cm)
  • Classification: Lapidary Work-Crystal
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Rogers Fund; Alastair B. Martin, William Kelly Simpson, Scher Chemicals Inc. and Max Falk Gifts; and funds from various donors, 1995
  • Object Number: 1995.54
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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