Can you help identify this artifact?

[A Lenape Scot]

I am trying to identify this buckle that I have. It is 4.5 inches across, Has a weaving pattern, some silver inlay left, and is very old and worn. Here is a link to pinterest with pictures of it. Has anyone seen one like this before?

http://pinterest.com/jlynch70/pins/

Thanks, Jeremy

[Southern Breeze]

It's a metal thingy.

[artificer]

It looks like an "annular" brooch. A standard celtic brooch/pin for a cloak/wrap. If it is, it would be worn on the shoulder (usually the left) and hold the wrapped fabric around the shoulders.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_brooch

ith:

[auld argonian]

Artificer got it in one!

Best

AA

[guardsman]

be a good fly plaid pin ,if your into white tie events

[Deirachel]

I don't think it's an annular. Note the "pin" is attached on both sides, not on just one.

Looking at the side view, you can see where the tongue is attached to pivoting pins going into the main body of the ring (the attachments of tongue to pins is what we see in the tongue attachment image).

That my friends is a belt buckle.

[Chas]

I don't think it's an annular. Note the "pin" is attached on both sides, not on just one.

Looking at the side view, you can see where the tongue is attached to pivoting pins going into the main body of the ring (the attachments of tongue to pins is what we see in the tongue attachment image).

That my friends is a belt buckle.

I agree. I tried to work out how it would work as a brooch, but I just can't see it. A single bar, yes a brooch. A 'T' bar, makes it a buckle.

Regards

Chas

[TheOfficialBren]

It appears to be an old-styled belt or baldric buckle. It is, indeed, very old, as evidenced by the type of weld used, corrosion, and "beefiness" of the item.

One might tjread the belt through the pointed "tongue" portion "similar to a modern belt) and back through the "un-toungued" portion. Then one would tie off the "tail" of the belt behind the buckle with a few wraps and tugs.

It is certainly made in the Western European manner. It might (huge emphasis on might) be as old as the late 1500s. Medieval? Improbable but not impossible. Seldom are medieval artifacts in such grand condition but, then again, some items are remarkable well-preserved. This item is at least 200 years old as this style of buckle (assuming it is a buckle) became obsolete by 1800 (the present buckle configuration appeared prior to that but existed beside this configuration for many years). I doubt that it is from the 16th or 17th centuries but I would not rule it out.

Just my tuppence but that's my guess.

Great item! Thank you for sharing.

:-)

[artificer]

I don't think it's an annular. Note the "pin" is attached on both sides, not on just one.

Looking at the side view, you can see where the tongue is attached to pivoting pins going into the main body of the ring (the attachments of tongue to pins is what we see in the tongue attachment image).

That my friends is a belt buckle.

Doh! Well spotted, I'm not sure how I missed that.

ith:

[TheOfficialBren]

Crap! I forgot to read the posts ahead of me. Now I feel like an ****.