920 - Samnite bronze belt, 4th century B.C.

Samnite bronze belt, 4th century B.C. Bronze sheet approximately 9 cm wide with straight ends. The edges are perforated all around with small holes spaced approximately 1.5 cm apart. Along the outer edge, near the rim and the holes, an approximately 8 mm wide strip is visible in the oxide layer on the surface of the belt; this originates from the folded-over organic material that was sewn to the inside of the belt using threads passed through the perforations. At one end of the belt are two solid hooks with a triangular, outwardly profiled back, ending in wide, flat palmette motifs as a base, with the individual leaves clearly separated from one another by incisions. The hooks are riveted to the sheet metal at the corners of the palmette motifs using three rivets. On the opposite side, approximately 11 cm away, is the first of four pairs of holes spaced approximately 2.5 cm apart, which allowed the belt to be fastened to fit the wearer’s waist. The width of the oval-shaped belt is approximately 32 cm. Depth: approx. 18 cm. Minor chips on the curved sides of the belt. The front and back sections have excellently preserved edges. A green-spotted oxide layer covers almost the entire surface; in some places, the underlying reddish-brown cuprite layer or the metallic surface is visible. A very beautifully preserved Samnite belt with no chips on the functionally important parts of the clasp. CULTURAL HERITAGE! Provenance: Acquired on the German art market in the summer of 2026. Previously in a French private collection. Acquired for the collection prior to 1998 from the Galerie Pierre-Eric Becker in Cannes. Condition: II–III