Gold Belt Mount with Rivet
Unknown Artist
700s
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
a and b: 1 × 13/16 × 3/16 in., 0.193 Troy Ounces (2.6 × 2.1 × 0.5 cm, 6g) a: 1 × 13/16 × 1/16 in., 0.096 Troy Ounces (2.6 × 2.1 × 0.1 cm, 3g) b: 3/4 × 1/2 × 3/16 in., 0.096 Troy Ounces (1.9 × 1.2 × 0.5 cm, 3g)
Classification
Metalwork-Gold
Culture
Avar
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.1694a, b
Art Historical Context
This delicate **Gold Belt Mount with Riv**, crafted by an unknown Avar artisan in the700s, showcases the exquisite metalwork of the Avar people—a nomadic confederation that flourished in Central and Eastern Europe the early Middle Ages. just 1 × 13/16 inches and weighing 0.2 Troy ounces, this tiny gold piece (divided into riveted parts a and b) was likely part of an elite warrior's or leader's belt, a common status symbol among steppe nomads. Avars drew on influences from Eurasian trade routes, amassing gold to create such finery amid their khaganate's peak power. These mounts, classified as ...