Der Kaiser auf der Mantelschließe: Zum Deckel der frühmittelalterlichen Dose von Sorpe (prov. Lérida / E)

Abstract

The Emperor on the Clasp of a Pallium: on the Lid of a Early Medieval Box from Sorpe (prov. Lérida / E)

The fragment of a buckle fitting was picked up a few years ago in Tinnye west of Budapest. It shows the profile of the Byzantine emperor. This motive is well-known from late Avaric belts (2nd half of the 8th century) and was recently addressed several times. However, only the belt fitting from a robbed grave in Szeged-Kiskundorozsma is probably a Byzantine original as is indicated by its extremely elaborate composite technique. The emperor’s profile is also presented on the lid of a gilded silver box found in Sorpe. The oval lid is hammered out delicately and provided with a massive hook; the lid’s sides are decorated with reduced palmettes as they only appear on late Avaric strap-ends and cloak clasps. These features suggest that the lid from Sorpe is very likely to be the part of such a Avaric cloak clasp. It can be assumed that it was taken as booty from the wars of Charlemagne against the Avars to the kingdom of the Franks and from there to the Spanish marches.