Belt Hook Iron Age, Bronze

Iron Age Ornamental Button Belt Hook

Discover a fascinating piece of history with our carefully reconstructed ornamental button clasp hook from the Iron Age. Based on an original find from the 3rd century BC, this belt hook has been meticulously handcrafted to be both functional and authentic. The design reflects the sculptural style of the Celts, known for their elaborate humped bangles, with the fish bubble ornaments.

The hook comes with two large, ornately decorated hollow rivets for attachment to a leather strap and three additional calotte-shaped hollow rivets for decorating the belt strap. The original specimen served as a model and could be moulded and reconstructed true to detail. The entire production chain takes place in our own workshop, with the parts being cast using the traditional lost wax technique.

This remarkable find dates to the transitional phase from Latène B2 to Middle Latène Stage C and is mainly found in central Germany. Comparable fragments were mainly discovered in the region south of Leipzig in the late 1880s, before it was over-excavated by the Espenhain open-cast mine in the 1970s.

This ornamental knob lock hook is not only a practical accessory, but also a piece of Iron Age art and history that will delight every collector and lover of historical artefacts.

The sculptural style of the Latène period

The sculptural style of the Latène period is an art-historical trend that developed in the late Iron Age in Europe, particularly among the Celts. It is characterised by a lively and dynamic design of art objects, which can often be seen in metalwork such as jewellery, weapons and other everyday objects.

This style often combines curved lines and spiral patterns with figurative representations that are worked out in relief. This gives the objects a very sculptural and three-dimensional appearance, which gave the style its name. Organic forms, which often incorporate plant or animal motifs, and the use of geometric patterns are also characteristic.

The sculptural style demonstrates the technical mastery of the Celtic craftsmen and reflects the influence of various cultures with which the Celts were in contact, including Etruscan, Greek and Roman art. These influences merged with the indigenous artistic tradition to create a unique Celtic expression.

Pieces made in this style are exemplary of the cultural heyday of the Latène period and contribute to the idea that the Celts were not only warriors, but also had a distinct artistic culture.

The plastic style dates to levels B2 to C1 and thus covers the period of Celtic migrations to Asia Minor in the 4th and early 3rd centuries B.C. This means that pieces of jewellery in the plastic style are widespread from present-day France to Turkey.

Comparative finds from Saxony: archaeo | 3D - Gürtelhaken, Fragment