Silver and glass; 8.03 grams, 37.69 mm. 5th-6th century AD. A finely made example of a Merovingian buckle, probably from the waist-belt of a high-status female. The plate consists of a D-shaped silver setting for the red glass panel, with a silver top-mount with an extension bar which traps the loop and continues beneath the buckle to accept the attachment rivets. The panel is bisected by a silver rectangular mount with incised linear decoration and two spherical-headed rivets. The silver tongue is long and graefully tapering; the loop is circular made from a flattened circular silver bar. The red glass inlay imitates the cloisonné cellwork of polychrome style garnet jewellery. Reference: similar in design to Menghin, W. The Merovingian Period. Europe Without Borders, p.491 item VII.25.2. Extremely fine condition. Provenance: from an old English collection, found Continental Europe. This antiquity is accompanied by an XRF metal test certificate from Oxford X-ray Fluorescence Ltd.