Belt fitting with rivets

A belt consisting of a strap, buckles and hardware was an indispensable element of the medieval costume. Many specimens were decorated with numerous metal applications and reinforcing hardware, on which heavy handy objects such as keys and knife pouches were hung. Richly ornamented, made of gilded silver, elements of a late Gothic belt such as buckles, clasps, and fittings were found with Pomeranian coins in the so-called Podzamcze treasure discovered in 1999 in Szczecin during archaeological research. While the coins did not represent a large fortune at that time, the gilded ornaments were of considerable value. The most impressive one included buckles and belt fittings dating back to the 15th century, which appear to have been almost unused. One of the fittings from the treasure is a piece decorated with plant ornamentation. The fitting, the so-called openwork one, was made with the casting technique of pouring molten methyl into a mould, for example, made of stone. It was additionally equipped with rivets to get attached to the belt. They were subjected to the so-called fire-gilding, i.e., the procedure covering a silver object with an alloy of gold and mercury - amalgam. Fire-gilding was a dangerous technique because the jeweller inhaled mercury vapour which was harmful to the body. Today, fire-gilding has been almost entirely supplanted by galvanic gilding.

Małgorzata Peszko