Roman Silver-Gilt Military Buckle for an Elite Imperial Officer
4th-5th century A.D. Comprising a rectangular plate, richly decorated with embossed laurel leaves in a grid, framed with raised bosses, the buckle loop comprising opposing dragons with open mouths, holding a spherical tongue-rest, another pair of smaller dragon heads to base, the tongue with a smaller pair of punch-decorated dragon heads. Cf. Sommer, M., Die Gürtel und Gürtelbeschläge des 4. und 5. Jahrhunderts im römischen Reich, Bonner Hefte zur Vorgeschichte, 22, Bonn, 1980 (1984), pls.5, no.2; pl.12, nos.1-2; pl.38 no.4-5; 47 nos.3-6; 51, no.9; pl.69 nos.3-4.152 grams, 11.2 cm (4 3/8 in.). Acquired before the 1970s.Ex J.L. collection, Surrey, U.K., thence by descent.This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.203881. Most precious military buckles, like this one, were reserved for soldiers belonging to Legiones Palatinae, i.e. the legions forming part of the imperial Comitatus, accompanying the emperor in his military expeditions.