Buckle
Unknown Artist
dated 1500
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
H. 2 3/16 in. (5.6 cm); W. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); thickness 3/16 in. (0.5 cm); Wt. 0.4 oz. (11 g)
Classification
Miscellaneous-Buckles & Ornament
Culture
French
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Bashford Dean, 1920
Accession Number
20.152.132
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bronze buckle, crafted in France around 1500, offers a glimpse into the refined metalworking of the late Gothic to early Renaissance period. Measuring just over 2 inches high and weighing a mere 0.4 ounces, its compact form suggests it adorned a belt, strap, or piece of armor, blending functionality with subtle elegance. Produced during a time when France was a hub of chivalric culture under kings like Louis XII, such buckles were essential accessories for knights and nobility, securing leather harnesses or sword belts amid the era's tournaments and wars. Cast in bronze—a durab...