Magia ornamentu / Galeria / Ornament with a knot motif

Ornament with a knot motif
Chronology:
Early Middle Ages, 9th c. – early 10th c. AD
Location:
Chodlik, Lubelskie, Poland; barrow
Dimensions:
2.3 cm (diameter)
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

This small, round fitting was a decorative feature of a leather sack or garment. It was cast in bronze. The shape of the item resembles a convex, openwork button with a rim and a pattern inside. The pattern is designed as two interlinked, elongated ovals. Combined they form a symbol similar to an isosceles cross: the so-called Salomon’s knot. The rim and knot pattern are completely covered by diagonal grooves imitating a thick cord. The other side of the fitting is smooth. The Solomon’s knot is a symbol found across many cultures throughout history, including in ancient Rome, Byzantium, or on Merovingian, Carolingian, and Scandinavian artefacts. It is to be found in the early mediaeval East Slavic territories, too.