Frankish; Found in Niederbreisig, western Germany
Iron with silver inlays; 4 3/8 in. (11.2 cm)
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.193.161–163)
This iron buckle, imposing in size, might have been worn by either a man or a woman. The intricate design of its decoration was achieved by squeezing narrow twisted strips of silver into patterns engraved into the surface of the prefabricated iron pieces. A complete belt would have consisted of a buckle, a counter plate that was placed opposite the buckle, and sometimes a rectangular plate placed in the middle of the belt at the back for decoration.