Casgliadau Arlein

Small open work belt-plate with the stubs of two small shanks to the rear, one in the centre of each short edge. The bronze tracery of the open-work design describes a central curvilinear lozenge with a heart shape to either side and is thus closely similar to 88.165H/113, though thicker and cruder in execution and appearance. However, the tracery on this piece has certain embellishments which differ from or are lacking on the other piece. Instead of bars across the upper and lower parts of the lozenge, each of these points merges into a configuration of bronze in the form of two conjoined leaves, or perhaps a solid heart shape. Also at the top of each open work heart the ends are recurved and terminate in scrolls. The margins on the short sides of the belt-plate are the same width as each other.