Oberstimm beltplates

[Crispvs]

Gaius,

Thanks very much!

The wings and thunderbolts plate is also assumed to be a belt plate. I think it still retains a rivet, although I don't have the full sized drawings with me right now to look at. I do not know whether it was originally a square plate of which all but the embossed design has corroded away or whether it was originally the way most of it still appears to be. Certainly it and the two remaining plates are badly damaged but the condition of this piece is rather too precise for me to be able to accept comfortably that it is the way it is purely through natural destuction. It is worth noting too that one of the other plates appears to have been round. This might be due to corrision of the portion which was not work hardened by embossing but there are several surviving sculpural representations of belts with a mixture of mounts of various shapes. All four of the standard figural motifs are present here (wolf and twins, emperor and cornucopiae, acanthus leaves and chasing animals), as well as one unusual one which I have not seen elsewhere.

Without seeing them myself or having precise photographs to consult, I am afraid I cannot say much more than that.

Crispvs

[Martin Moser]

On stamping plates and such - I got satisfying results with a stamp I made for segmentata rosettes (see pics, rosettes are about 25mm diameter). The stamp is a brass rod about 12cm long. Just used a heavy hammer and a sheet of lead with 0,3 mm brass sheet metal and placing the piece on the stamp to work out the details with fine punches. Pretty sure this would work with complicated belt plate motfis as well.

cheers,

Martin

[ARudling]

just one thing to remember on that Gauge chart is those are American Wire Gauge & some of us use SWG

for comparrison check this link

http://www.comax.uk.com/wire_gauge_chart.htm

it has both on there

[Crispvs]

Very nice work Martin!

Crispvs