Circa 6th century A.D. A bronze gilt buckleposed of a rectangular plate with circular cell to each outer and inner corner, six set with a polished garnet cabochon, a large garnet set in an oval cell to the centre, border of raised scrolls; two facing stylised birds' heads to the rear edge creating attachment loops, the eyes formed as circular cells, one set with a garnet cabochon; oval-shaped buckle with sloping upper face decorated with two parallel bands of scroll and pellet ornament, substantial articulate tongue resting in groove, the lower half semi-circular in section, guilloche ornament to the flanks, the upper body waisted, terminating with a circular plate decorated with X-motifs on the upper face, horizontal bands to the edges; multiple rivet holes to the body; apanied by a custom-made display stand. Cf. Menghin, W., The Merovingian Period: Europe without Borders, Archaeology and history of the 5th-8th centuries, Germany, 2007, p.299, for similar type (occasional find from burials in Mount Mithridat, Kertsch, Saint Petersburg, Hermitage, inv. no.1820/385); Shinakov, E.A., Fedosov, A.V., ‘Weapons and Armours of Germanic and Nomadic origin in the Middle Desna Region (the end of the fourth-the Sixth centuries)’ in Pinker, Z.K., Nitoi, A., Urduzia, C., Rela?ii Interetnice în Transilvania : militaria mediaevalia în Europa central? ?i de sud-est, Sibiu, 2018, pp.17-31, especially figs. pp.28-30; cf. also I Goti (the Goths), Milano, 1994. 150 grams, 15 cm (292 grams total, 20 cm including stand) (6 in. (7 7/8 in.)). Ex private South German collection. Anonymous sale, Gorny & Mosch, Munich, Germany, no.140, 21 June 2005, lot 565. Apanied by copies of the relevant Gorny & Mosch catalogue pages. Apanied by an academic report by Dr. Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is apanied by AIAD certificate no.11407-189856. For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price [A video of this lot is available to view on Timeline Auctions .]