Evolution of Style
Although broadly consistent, the style of Visigothic personal ornament changed over time. These shifts were influenced by multiple factors, including the integration of the Visigoths and the Romans, and later in the seventh century, the growing importance of silver- and gold-working. Below is a relative timeline of the evolution of the style of Visigothic belt buckles based on the work of Gisella Ripoll López.
This timeline helps to visually convey how Visigothic personal ornament evolved over time. It allows for the placement of the Michael C. Carlos Museum buckles alongside those from other institutions to demonstrate how they fit into the overall trajectory of these types of objects. Like many other objects of personal ornament, specifically those of Visigothic origin, the furthest back the Carlos Museum buckles’ provenance can be traced is to a dealer in London in the early 2000s. Unless objects were documented meticulously from the moment of their discovery, their entire history can be difficult to definitively prove. In this exhibition, the majority of objects can be traced to collectors in the twentieth century, but not further back to a physical find-site. Most of the objects presented here that can be traced to a find-site are from the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid.
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