Vače Belt-Plate

Vače Belt-Plate
Materialbronze
Sizeheight: 28.5 cm (11.2 in)
Created5th century BC
DiscoveredHallstatt Archaeological Site in Vače, at the time Austria-Hungary (now Slovenia)
Present locationNatural History Museum in Vienna

The Vače Belt-Plate (Slovene: pasna spona z Vač or vaška spona, German: Gürtelblech von Vače) is one of the best examples of Illyrian art and toreutic art.

Discovery

The Vače Belt-Plate was discovered at the Hallstatt Archaeological Site in Vače, Slovenia, where several Illyrian situlae were found, the best known of which is the Vače Situla.

The artifact

The belt-plate dates to the 5th century BC and is displayed at the Vienna Natural History Museum. It is 28.5 cm long and depicts five figures, four of which are warriors in combat. Two of the central warriors are on horseback.[1] These may be depictions of mythological events.[2]

References

  1. ^ Stipčević, Alexander (1989). Iliri: povijest, život, kultura. Zagreb: Školska knjiga. p. [page needed]. ISBN 9788603991062.
  2. ^ (in Slovene) Situla Display Announcement, Slovene Research Institute, January 2006, Vienna