Ivory Buckle

An Umayyad belt buckle carved from elephant ivory, of rectangular outline with rounded corners and an elongated racetrack-shaped opening off centre along the longitudinal axis. Along the horizontal axis, forming a cross with the opening is a recessed, undecorated area where the strap would have fitted. With two cylindrical shaped lugs, engraved with seven concentric bands, projecting from one of the long sides, pierced through, presumably for attachment to the belt itself. With exquisite, deep carving around the opening of split-leaf scrolls contained within a pearl border, and with vacant rectangular fields drilled with holes probably intended to receive insets, with a floral border along the outer vertical edge.