C. 200 BC. Celtic Iron Age. Bronze belt buckle comprising a hemispherical plate with incised D-shaped frame made from two rows of confronted triangles enclosing a spiral triskelion. Three attachment hooks are preserved on the reverse. A triskelion or triskeles is a motif consisting of a triple spiral exhibiting rotational symmetry. The symbol is often associated with mystical beliefs, and this connotation was probably already established by the Iron Age, when it may have been connected with Druidic religion. A Druid (Celtic: “Knowing [or Finding] the Oak Tree”) was a member of the learned class among the ancient Celts. They seem to have frequented oak forests and acted as priests, teachers, and judges. The earliest written testimony of the Druids comes from the 3rd century BC but they probably originated much earlier as this late dating reflects the point at which the literate Greek-speaking societies of the Mediterranean came into contact with the Celts of Northern Europe. Good condition; beautiful patina.Size: L:42mm / W:54mm ; 46.7g; Provenance: Property of a professional London art expert; obtained from an old British collection formed in the 1970s.