A gold double-chain 'floral' belt Pre-Angkor, 1st - 8th century | 一至八世紀 前吳哥王朝 瓣紋扣金腰帶

Property from the Tuyet Nguyet and Stephen Markbreiter Collection

A gold double-chain 'floral' belt

Pre-Angkor, 1st - 8th century

雪月藏亞洲藝術珍品

一至八世紀 前吳哥王朝 瓣紋扣金腰帶

The gold chain chased in the form of linked loops resembling a braided rope, culminating in a buckle with a clasp in Herakles knot decorated with a four-petal floral motif.

Similar belts of this type were also carved onto a pre-Angkor sandstone figure of Harihara - a deity combining both aspects of Vishnu and Shiva - in the Kimbell Art Museum, Texas. The belt is loosely placed around the hips above the folds of the sampot skirt.

The four-petal floral motif on the clasp is a recurring theme and is repeated to great effect on all types of jewellery. It is also extensively depicted on bas-relief carvings, most notably those at Banteay Srei, a 10th-century temple carved in pink sandstone which displays some of the most refined and ornate stone carvings of the entire empire.

approx. 81.2 cm , 376.7 grams