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Fibula
Ukraine
5th century
Gold, silver, garnet
Chernigov Region
This fibula (clasp for a cloak) was found in the village of Nezhin near Chernigov. It consists of diamond-shaped and circular plates connected by a silver foot covered with a thin sheet of gold. The front side of the fibula is richly decorated with garnets of various shapes.
The design of the object combines two types of incrustation. Along the foot there is a row of rectangular gold settings inlayed with thin plates of garnet, whereas the other parts of the object are decorated with garnet inlays in settings formed by narrow strips soldered edgewise. These settings are bordered by thin twisted wires. The circular part is edged by a twisted flat narrow strip bordered on both sides by filigree. Onto the reverse of the fibula a silver clasp is soldered. While the abundance of garnet inlays reflects the tastes of the new Hun era, the shape of the fibula is characteristic of the Chernyakhov Culture. It was not typical for the Huns to wear fibulae.
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