Italic Etruscan / Samnite Bronze Warrior's Belt

Italy, Etruria, Italic/Samnite, ca. 4th century BCE. Made of hammered sheet, this is a wide bronze belt perforated along its top and bottom edges for attaching leather or cloth lining. At its clasp are two solid cast bronze hooks with decorative motifs on the broad appliques where they attach to the thin body of the belt. These hooks would have fit into the open perforations on its other end. The rest of the belt is undecorated and composed of what appears to be three sheets of bronze held together with rivets. A pretty mottled dark green and russet patina highlights its age. Size: 17.5" W x 3.05" H (44.4 cm x 7.7 cm)

Belts like this one are found in graves, so it is unclear if they were made only to be worn in death, or if these people were being buried in their usual clothing. However, bronze statuettes excavated at Roccaspinalvetti (Abruzzo, Italy) give an idea of what warriors would have looked like in life - attired in a garment that hangs to the thighs, belted with a wide belt just like this one above greaves on the legs and bare feet. Along with a helmet with a nose guard, this seems to have been the attire of warriors throughout ancient Italy during this period.

See an almost identical example at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (08.3a).

Provenance: private J.H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, acquired in April 2017; ex-Clive Sawyer Antiquities and Ancient Coins, Kent, England, UK; ex-private German collection

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#149657 Dimensions: Condition Report: One small area of expert repair/restoration near the end with the hooks; otherwise all original material. The bronze is fragile in places and should not be displayed/stored folded or bent. Rich deposits and a pretty dark green patina on surface. The hooks are particularly well preserved.