Cleveland Museum of Art

Fibula with Solar Design

Date

c. 700–675 BCE

Medium

bronze

Culture

Greece, Boeotia

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The crescent body of this bronze fibula (brooch) features both incised and punched decoration. Three sets of three arrows have been interpreted as indicating the daily route of the sun, shown at the arc’s center as a series of radiating punch marks within a shallowly incised circle. When worn, the arc may have hung downward, a large ornamental addition to the functional pin used to secure its wearer’s clothing. A fibula is an ancient safety pin that held garments in place.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.