Belt buckle

The profound changes, shocks and crises in the late Roman era also had an impact on art and on the manner of decorating everyday objects. A special ornament appeared in the technique of wedge-shaped engraving, which made use of the play of light and shadow and which covered the entire surface of the object. Geometrical motifs are predominant, whereas figural motifs are rarer. The bronze belt buckle from Predloka in Rižanska dolina, with its characteristic decoration, was a constituent part of the equipment of military officers between the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. and indicates the movements of the army and the increased military presence in northern Istria during the turbulent times of the decline of the Roman Empire.