Buckles Showing “Shining” Cross on the Shield from the South-Western Crimea

Among the large buckles with rectangular shield and Christian symbols existing from the sixth and the first quarter of the seventh century among the Gothic-Alan population of the south-western Crimea, there were clasps showing stylized image of a “shining” cross. These artefacts clearly demonstrate the presence of two fundamentally different artistic and craft traditions: Byzantine and East German. The maker of the buckle was well acquainted with еру East German examples, from which he borrowed the general design and the shape of the components, and was familiar with the items from the Byzantine circle, from which he copied the image. The production of the buckles with Christian symbols was established in Cherson, a major Byzantine trading and craft centre on the peninsula. The connection between the cross and light is obvious: in the Holy Scripture, God and Christ are repeatedly identified with light. The image of the cross shading light was particularly popular in the Early Byzantine Period. It was placed on mosaics, frescoes, church utensils, individual items of Christian worship, ceramic lamps, tableware and belt fittings. In the early mediaeval Christian worldview, the cross was not only a symbol of faith but also had protective powers. In everyday life, the buckle was used as a clothing accessory and simultaneously an amulet, which, like the cross, was supposed to protect the wearer from all harm. The published buckles are striking examples of the products that reflect the “fashion” of the period in question and demonstrate the connections between the decorative and applied arts of different regions.