K. Palágyi Sylvia szerk.: Balácai Közlemények 1997/5. (Veszprém, 1997)

SZIRMAI, KRISZTINA: Niello decorated Horse Harness Ornament from Albertfalva -Niellóval díszített lószerszámdísz Albertfalváról

KRISZTINA SZIRMAI NIELLO DECORATED HORSE HARNESS ORNAMENT FROM ALBERTFALVA In 1994, we excavated an other 2000 m

2 area of the vicus surrounding the Albertfalva auxiliary fort which lay on the section of the limes between Aquincum and Campona.

1 The niello decorated horse harness ornament covered with white metal was found in the so-called number 6 surface, in the semisubterranean house with rounded corners. The newly discovered horse harness ornament fragment represents one third of a phalera. (fig. 1-2) The original measurement of the phalera must have been 7x7 cm. Up to of these measurements the find belongs to the group of middle sized phalerae. Concentric circles can be seen around the edges and in the center of the front side of Albertfalva phalera. Niello ornaments fill the broader field between the circle decorations. The patterns include a more or less calyx shaped plant composed of voluted motives on both sides and two buds together with the ornament, imitations of nail-chiselled motives. The last ones are under each other - in decreasing size. The same set of motives is repeated on the front side of the phalera and must have been on the other parts too. On the basis of the final reconstruction, two rings can be seen next to each-other while two more rings appear not so close to each other on the reverse of the phalera. Thus this new concave Albertfalva phalera with niello decoration belongs to the four ring phalerae type. Ilona Sellye published an enamelled, three ring phalera from Kiskőszeg (Batina) in Pannónia.

2 There are more rings on the Albertfalva phalera than on the Kiskőszeg horse harness ornament. It has four rings and is not enamelled but has niello decoration. The Hungarian National Museum has a phalera from Adony which is unpublished.

3 There is a niello motif with concentric circles on the front. Although the front of the Albertfalva phalera had concentric circle decoration on it with a white metal coating its ornamentation was diverse. The broken ring and rivet marks may be seen on the round strap of the Adony find reverse (Bishop type 4).

4 There is neither a round strap on the reverse of the Albertfalva phalera or rivets but there are four rings. On the basis of the data mentioned above, the Albertfalva phalerae type coated with white metal, niello ornamented and four ringed type did not come from Pannónia although the three ringed one with round straps, enamelled, niello ornamented phalerae came to light in Adony and Kiskőszeg. The Albertfalva front side matches one of the variations of the Bishop 2/A type.

5 The reverse of the Albertfalva phalera with the four rings is representative of the Bishop 6a-b type. The closest parallel to this type can be found among the Doorweth phalerae where the front and reverse are almost identical to the Albertfalva phalera. From a technical and size point of view the front side comes closest to one of the Doorwerth phalerae. The only difference lies in the niello ornamentation. The 1 century AD phalerae from Corbridge and Heddernheim are also similar to the Albertfalva find. Slight differences appear in the number of concentric circle decoration of the front. The four ring reverse of these parallels is identical to the reverse of the Albertfalva phalera.

6 In the following, grave monuments will be discussed which show the four ring phalerae type from Albertfalva. The first group is composed of those stone representations where the mentioned phalerae type is used in pairs as a horse harness breast junction to connect straps running in to four directions. This can be seen on the gravestone of Sextus Valerius Genialis