Casgliadau Arlein

Late fourth-century buckle and plate, for a late Roman narrow belt 15mm wide, Hawkes and Dunning (1961) type I B buckle. Loop has a pair of inward-facing vestigial stylised dolphin heads and a pair of outward-facing horses heads. Incised decoration on Pin. The sheet metal plate, 70mm in length, is fastened at the end with two rivets. Its incised decoration comprises a cable pattern border and three circular motifs with marigold-rosettes on a dotted background. The pairs of curving projections rising from these appear to be the heads and necks of birds, suggesting that the motifs may be intended for peacocks, shown in a more realistic guise on other examples. The peacock was a symbol of immortality, since its flesh was said to be incorruptible. A Christian connotation cannot be ruled out, though the design was probably no more than a conventional decorative motif.

LI1.7