Fibula

1 of 2

Artist
Name	Unknown
Basic Info
Period	Geometric period to Orientalizing
Created in	Ancient & Byzantine World, Asia, Phrygia
Century	8th-7th century BCE
Culture	Greek
Dimensions	h. 6.6 x l. 8.5 x w. (of arc) 1.3 x th. (of arc) 0.6 cm (2 5/8 x 3 3/8 x 1/2 x 3/16 in.)
Harvard Museum
Department	Department of Ancient and Byzantine Art & Numismatics
Division	Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact	am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

TechnicalDetails

Chemical Composition

Technical Observations

The patina is a crusty brown and green layer over a smooth green and crystalline red cuprite surface; there are a few areas of shiny black, brown, and bare metal. Burial deposits are present at the catchplate. The fibula is largely intact, although half of one of the knobs is lost. The pin was reattached to the spring with a copper alloy solder or braising compound that is poorly aligned.
 
The bow of the fibula was cast and then wrought to shape the spiral and form the pin. The knobs are hollow domes that were cast separately with their round pins. They were attached to the fibula body mechanically by inserting the pins through holes and hammering them over.
 
Carol Snow (submitted 2002)

Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Louise M. and George E. Bates