Description
The crescent body of this bronze fibula (brooch) features both incised and punched decoration. Three sets of three arrows have been interpreted as indicating the daily route of the sun, shown at the arc’s center as a series of radiating punch marks within a shallowly incised circle. When worn, the arc may have hung downward, a large ornamental addition to the functional pin used to secure its wearer’s clothing.
Provenance
(Kunst der Antike, Basel, Switzerland, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (-1999); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1999-)
Accession Number
1999.9
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
Overall: 15.4 x 11.2 cm (6 1/16 x 4 7/16 in.)
Classification
Metalwork
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund