BELT BUCKLE WITH INTAGLIO OF A VICTORIA - former Kofler-Truniger collection Early Byzantine, late 5th/early 6th century AD. Gilt bronze. Consisting of a bracket, spike and rectangular plate, inlaid with brown glass depicting Victoria with a cross. 4 × 5.1 cm. Gilding and intaglio rubbed. Missing inlays. Dents. Provenance: - Collection of Ernst and Marthe Kofler-Truniger (1903–1990 & 1918–1999), Lucerne before 1964 (inv. no. K8067E). - Swiss private collection, Lucerne, acquired from the above in ca. 1974. - By inheritance in the same Swiss family collection, Lucerne. Exhibited: Kunsthaus Zurich, Collection E. and M. Kofler-Truniger, Lucerne, June 7–August 2, 1964, No. 608b (with exhibition catalog). Literature: - Kunsthaus Zurich (ed.): Collection E. and M. Kofler-Truniger, Lucerne. Exhibition catalog, June 7–August 2, 1964, p. 64, No. 608b, plate 34. - Jeffrey Spier: Late Antique and Early Christian Gems. Wiesbaden, 2007, p. 94, No. 552, plate 68. A similar belt buckle is in the British Museum (inv. no. 1982,1103.1). The glass intaglio depicts an armed seated figure, with red cloisonné inlays in two of the four corners. For comparable intaglios depicting an angel holding a cross or Victoria with a cross, see Jeffrey Spier: Late Antique and Early Christian Gems. Wiesbaden, 2007, No. 551-559, plates 68 and 69. * The full tax is charged on this item marked *, i.e. VAT is charged on the sum will be refunded to Purchasers providing a validly stamped export declaration.