Metal Belt Decorations with Fretwork and Dragon Designs

These are metal belt decorations worn on the waist of the person who was buried in the Inariyama Kofun. The belt buckle is shown in the upper left, followed by the decorative panels that covered the length of the belt. The end piece, worn on the opposite end of the belt as the buckle, is shown in the lower right. The panels, which are decorated with fretwork that depicts dragons, have small bells attached to them. In ancient China, metal belt decorations with dragon designs were given to military generals who faithfully carried out the emperor’s orders. There is also a theory that these particular metal belt decorations were created in the southern part of the Korean peninsula.