This Frankish bird pin dates from the middle of the 6th century AD, i.e. from the Merovingian Empire.
The original buckle was made of gilded silver and decorated with red garnet inlays. It was found in a rich female grave in the Flemish village of Witternesse in the Pas-de-Calais department. Today it is part of the collection of the Countess de Béhague.
On the back of this medieval bird clasp is a solid needle mechanism with a typical spiral design.
Like the original, the replica of the Frankish bird clasp measures 3.3 × 1.8 cm. Material: bronze
Historical context of bird clasps
In the 5th and 6th centuries, bird clasps in the shape of stylised eagles were part of the women's clothing of the Frankish Merovingians. These jewels were a status of wealthy Merovingian women and were usually worn in pairs.
In combination with another pair of clasps used to fasten the lower part of the garment, the four clasps formed the so-called Merovingian four-clasp garment, which was common among the Franks and Alemanni in the early Middle Ages.
Small clasps with garnet inlays in the shape of profiled eagles were common in the 6th century in the areas under Frankish Merovingian rule and were worn by women as personal jewellery.
This variant of the bird pin with its raised body, small upper wing and claws is known as the Vorges type, named after the archaeological site at Vorges in the Aisne region of northern France. Clasps of this type appear in graves dating from AD 520-555 and were widespread in northern France, the Rhineland and southern Germany, with variants also found in England.
The Germanic bird clasps probably depicted an eagle and were inspired by the Roman imperial eagle. They served as a symbol of belonging to the Roman Empire or its culture and were the privilege of women from the upper social classes.
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