Silver embossed belt brooch

This piece is one of the parts of an old Iberian belt brooch. It is the only thing that remains from the belt since the rest, was made of leather, has disappeared. The belt was a common element in the clothing of an Iberian, but depending on its decorative richness or metal with which it was made, it could also be an element of prestige.
 
These types of brooches usually appear in burials and they are part of the deceased's grave goods. They appear more in high rank male tombs as warriors, although the brooches were also worn by women and children of the upper classes.
 
Belt clasps consist of two parts: the male part which is the part of the hooks and the female part where they are hooked. In this case, only this three-hook plate that corresponds to the hooked piece remains. Most celtiberian belt brooches, like this one, follow a fixed pattern, although there are always variations. They are more or less trapezoidal plates with a straight heel, side cutouts and one, two or three hooks to fasten on the other metal part of the belt.
 
This buckle is attached to the leather piece by means of six rivets located at the base or heel and the openings it has on the sides called notches, are open with a tendency to close, but the most significant thing about this clasp and what makes it special is the embossed silver foil with which it is decorated.
 
The embossing technique consisted of working the decorative sheet on the back of it and with a punch, by pressing, the desired decoration was made. The end result is a decoration in relief, which in this brooch are concentric circles and wavy and zigzag lines.
 
Necropolis of Les Casetes, tomb 20
Chronology: 6th – 5th BC
Height: 71,2 mm; length: 111,5 mm; thickness: 4,3 mm
Nº Inv. Vilamuseu: 003425