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Source Description
A fibula was a garment clasp that functioned somewhat like a modern safety pin. Since buttons were not used in antiquity, fibulae were used to keep a cloak closed. They were worn by both men and women, commonly on the right shoulder, and produced in various sizes and shapes. Because they were highly visible accessories, they often received decorative gilding, inlay decoration, or onion-shaped domes. Crossbow fibulae were introduced by the Romans and are named for their resemblance to the weapon. Decorative and technical features suggest this may have been made in Roman-occupied Britain.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
111699
label
Crossbow Fibula
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
111699
contentType
object
title
Crossbow Fibula
description
A fibula was a garment clasp that functioned somewhat like a modern safety pin. Since buttons were not used in antiquity, fibulae were used to keep a cloak closed. They were worn by both men and women, commonly on the right shoulder, and produced in various sizes and shapes. Because they were highly visible accessories, they often received decorative gilding, inlay decoration, or onion-shaped domes. Crossbow fibulae were introduced by the Romans and are named for their resemblance to the weapon. Decorative and technical features suggest this may have been made in Roman-occupied Britain.
date
c. 350–400
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60779339
genreSpecific
Jewelry
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 10.2 x 7.1 x 3.8 cm (4 x 2 13/16 x 1 1/2 in.)
cul
Gallo-Roman or Romano-British, Migration period, 4th century
accession
1930.227
Source extras
tec
bronze, gilt-bronze, silver, and niello
tombstone
Crossbow Fibula, c. 350–400. Gallo-Roman or Romano-British, Migration period, 4th century. Bronze, gilt-bronze, silver, and niello; overall: 10.2 x 7.1 x 3.8 cm (4 x 2 13/16 x 1 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1930.227
collection
MED - Migration Period
citations
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 44
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 44
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 48
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art, and Holger A. Klein<em>. Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art.</em> Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: P. 98-99, no. 29
creditline
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:54:55.751000
sourceId
111699
dept
Medieval Art
coll
MED - Migration Period
med
bronze, gilt-bronze, silver, and niello
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
70f7ccc40f8b5b43