Gold Belt Buckle From The Ship Burial At Sutton Hoo Meaning

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Gold belt buckle from the ship burial at sutton hoo meaning. Shoulder clasps from the ship burial at sutton hoo 550 650. Archaeologists have been excavating the area since the 1930s. This gold belt buckle is a masterpiece of early medieval craftsmanship made using over 400g of gold with an intricate decoration of intertwining creatures inlaid with niello a black metal alloy. Made using over 400 grams of gold its intricate decoration shows 13 intertwining creatures inlaid with niello a black metal alloy.

This magnificent buckle found in the ship burial was made of gold and weighs 412 7 grams. British museum london united kingdom. Most of these objects are now held by the british museum in london. The type of metal used and the fineness of decoration were key factors.

The suttton hoo buckle is a superlative example of of this type of animal ornament which was popular with many germanic people at that time. Gold belt buckle hollow with cast ornament. Sutton hoo at sutton near woodbridge in suffolk england is the site of two early medieval cemeteries from the 6th to 7th centuries. The presence of the coin shaped blanks suggests that the number of coins was deliberately.

Three large plain hemispherical bosses connect with sliding catches on the back plate which opens on a hinge. One cemetery had an undisturbed ship burial with a wealth of anglo saxon artefacts of art historical and archaeological significance. These curved gold shoulder clasps are feats of astonishing craftsmanship. Constructed from several separate pieces its body forms a hinged box with an ingenious triple lock mechanism.

Each one is made in two halves which are hinged and fastened by a strong pin. The intricate decoration comprises a web of 13 snakes predatory birds and long limbed beasts. Gold belt buckle the metal and decoration on saxon s buckle reflected the wealth and status of their owner. In early anglo saxon england buckles used to fasten waist belts were a means of expressing a man s wealth and status.

This gold belt buckle from sutton hoo is one of the greatest achievements of anglo saxon metalwork. From the sutton hoo ship burial mound 1 england uk. This type of animal ornament was popular with many germanic speaking peoples at the time. Belt buckle sutton hoo early 7th century gold.

Primarily decorative shield on tongue buckles were common anglo saxon grave goods at this time elaborately decorated on the shield portion and associated only with men. Belt buckles go back at least to the iron age and a gold great buckle was among the items interred at sutton hoo. The upper surface is covered entirely with zoomorphic interlace the design picked out in tiny punched circles and inlaid except on the loop in niello.