The Bird of Prey Hunts a Hare/Quadruped

A New Motif in the Frame of a Belt Fitting of a Byzantine-Late Avar Khaganate Type from South Moravia, Czech Republic

Abstract

The Bird of Prey Hunts a Hare/Quadruped. A New Motif in the Frame of a Belt Fitting of a Byzantine-Late Avar Khaganate Type from South Moravia, Czech Republic

The paper analyses a new find of a white-metal belt fitting with the motif »bird of prey hunts a hare« from South Moravia. The fitting of Byzantine origin (with Byzantine clasps?) has only one analogy in the Carpathian Basin, and a similar depiction was on the silver belt set in Fotovizh (Sumy obl./UA). In this depot were eight pieces of main fittings, dated to the middle of the 8^th century. In the same region as our find, in Moravský Svätý Ján (okr. Senica/CZ), was found a hoard/depot with a strap-end with a depiction of a man and a bird of prey, probably a falcon, from the same time. It is a local product. The local elites used self-affirming symbols of Byzantine-Late Avar type, whereby the Byzantine originals were copied or imitated.