Late Roman Military Belt Mount Group

4th-5th century AD. A group of three bronze mounts from a chip-carved military belt set comprising: frontal belt plaque with animal-headed buckle framed by a dense foliage scroll decoration with addorsed dolphins to the upper edge, pierced lug and C-section border; the counter-plate similarly formed with scrolls across the central panel; rear plate with similar chip-carved scrolls and ornament. See Sommer, M., Die Gürtel und Gürtelbeschläge des 4. und 5. Jahrhunderts im römischen Reich, Bonner Hefte zur Vorgeschichte, 22, Bonn, 1980 (1984); Bishop, M.C. & Coulston, J.C.N., Roman Military Equipment, from the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, London, 2006, figs.139, no.7; Appels, A. & Laycock, S., Roman Buckles and Military Fittings, Witham, 2007, esp. p.241; Humer, F., Kremer G., Pollhammer, E., Pülz, A., AD 313 Von Carnuntum zum Christentum, Bad Voslau, 2014, pp.201ff, no.389. 183 grams total, 7.2-10.5cm (2 3/4 - 4"). From the collection of a Surrey gentleman; acquired 1970-1980. During the second half of the 4th century, broad and highly decorated belts were worn by Roman soldiers, militarised government officers (militia non armata) and Germanic recruits equipped by the regular army. The belts were decorated with rectangular and pentagonal copper-alloy plates. These chip-carved plates often incorporate classical and Mediterranean motifs within the geometric scheme, and were mainly widespread among the army in Germany, Gaul and on the Danube, as well as in Britannia and in the Northern Balkans. The type here has parallels with grave goods from Checy (Loire department) which date from the time of Honorius and Arcadius (Sommer, 1984, pl.66) and belong to the fourth style (pattern B) of chip-carved military belts. [3]
Condition Report: Fine condition.