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Fibula
Ukraine
5th century
Gold, silver, garnet
Chernigov Region
This fibula (clasp for a cloak) was found in the village
of Nezhin near Chernigov. It consists of
diamond-shaped and circular plates connected by a
silver foot covered with a thin sheet of gold. The front
side of the fibula is richly decorated with garnets of
various shapes.
The design of the object combines two types of
incrustation. Along the foot there is a row of
rectangular gold settings inlayed with thin plates of
garnet, whereas the other parts of the object are
decorated with garnet inlays in settings formed by
narrow strips soldered edgewise. These settings are
bordered by thin twisted wires. The circular part is
edged by a twisted flat narrow strip bordered on both
sides by filigree. Onto the reverse of the fibula a silver
clasp is soldered. While the abundance of garnet inlays
reflects the tastes of the new Hun era, the shape of the
fibula is characteristic of the Chernyakhov Culture. It
was not typical for the Huns to wear fibulae.
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