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Tekije buckle 1st century AD
When I start to assemble this new belt, I take into consideration the plate number by archeology. 8 are the plates found during excavations in the distant 1948 (as far as I am aware). Information from publications Đ. Mano Zisi, Les Trovailles de Tekiya, Musee National: Beograd 1957 and Balcani –Antiche civilita tra il Danubio e l` Adriatico. Publication in Serbian language. Luckily for me I understand this Slavic language. Unfortunately, some of the photos are posted so long ago are very poor as a quality.  
 So many different waxes! The wax is different in color because it has different physical characteristics of hardness, melting temperature and plasticity. So much cutting, glueing and melting to reach this result.
Here is NOT a 3D work, everything is done by hand and directly on wax as it was most likely in antiquity.


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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The rivets used for riveting the plates are specific and have a spherical shape. The same spheres are used for the axes that pass through the bent tubing on both sides of the plates.
 Very interesting are the disks -rivets mounted on the middle of the belt plates.This is an interesting solution of the ancient artist. All belt plates here have convex cones and in the center are mounted  this "inverted cup disks ". Through the tubes at both ends of the plates passes an axle with fixed 2 balls fixed on the both ends.
Considering that here is two type of silver Roman military belts I recreated parts for 2 cingulun with elements similar to archeology. Taking into account the differences in size and the differences in styles of construction.
It can be clearly seen on one of the of the original plates the monogram with a few letters (on one of plate). I see here ISXVC. On the replicas I hammering the monograms of their modern owners.
Pugio discs rotate freely around its own axis.On the museum pugio disc exhibit can be read an inscription V II R.I.G. VAL II R IV S. CR II S C II S
My waxwork on these pugio hangers discs. In this case on pne of the replicas disk my monograms are written. My wax pugio hangers models. Discs are 40 mm. diameter.


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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It can be seen from the picture that both pugio plates have tubes without additional decoration.
All my new models have mounted axles inside the tubes and then I've tin-plate one more ball at each end of the axle.Since I've been researching all possible publications about this belt parts long ago, I drew some conclusions for myself .The rich experience I have gained in realizing on my old (casting plates ) version  helped me a lot to realize and the variant of the forged plate model. The original plates are made of forged silver sheet. For this purpose, from a long time (several years) I was preparing a matrix for forging such plates,by trying to conform to the size and relief of the originals.
The relief of the original plates is unclear because there are not many published photos on the subject.


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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But it is understood that most of the plates have a different relief of concentric circles. I took up the task to reconstruct one of them. The matrix I have constructed is complex and very detailed. The matrix is designed to cut and press a 0.5mm thick metal sheet (brass or silver). From this picture (which shows the back of the details) is quite visible that all the plates are hammered. The photos show details of 2 types of metal one is brass the other is silver.Ears that are curved at both ends of the plates are several models in this belt. I show  here the brass models so it can be more clearly the differences in technology manufacturing. I use brass sheet thin 0.5 mm.
The size of the plates (the originals) are different. I produce plates with a size length between 43 or 44 mm. and height 40 or 41 mm. (this does not include mounted balls on the axle).
1st-plate model I produce is the one without the snakescent tape on the tube. 50% of the plates for this belt kit are without a snake-like band on the tube. Axes and decorative balls are mounted separately as archeology.The plates are very light-21 g.


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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2nd-models (also forged) are those that have an additional welded small decorative stepped plate on the two tubes. Picture №2 shows the rear of plates. The brass color gives a clearer contrast to the details to be seen the different processing of the metal. The plates with snake decoration tinned on the tubing are very light-21 g.




                           


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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Silver coated buckle with the plate is around 64g. The buckle plates (by archeology) are different by size from the others belt plates from this belt model .Length   43 or 44 mm. along with the hinges  and height 40 or 41 mm. (this does not include mounted balls on the axle).The bigger one of course, is a little heavier-80g.
Concentric circles in the middle are mounted by riveting similar to the originals.For this belt, buckles as seen by archeology  are 2 models. Both buckles are very beautiful.So I made 2 belts with 2 different buckles but only with 2 pugio hangers.


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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The hanger plates are visibly without snakey applications over the axle tubes. So I made them similar to the original. There are some unexplained creative solutions that the ancient author has taken when designing parts… but this will remain an unexplained secret for all of us.
Disc for the pugio hangers are 40 mm. in diameter. These are plate along with the disc pugio hangers on both sides.Pugio plates are forged as the originals.
All axes with the balls are rotating inside their tubes. The discs in the middle of the plates also rotate around their axis. I fitting pugio discs with a plate together  as I endeavour аll the details to be accurately positioned.
3rd- model of plate mimics the curve of the original plates which generally ends on the front of the plate. So this option I achieving also.


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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On one of the plate the ancient owner has put his initials so I have made similar here.
I have variants with my previous manufactured belts where all the pugio plates have snakescent tape on the tubes.
Production of these details is a very, very slow and difficult process.From this picture, it can be seen that all plates, regardless of which version they are, are fitted with axes in the tubes. On each ball before the assembly hole is drilled.All this takes a long, long time. Tinning of the balls takes place alternately on both sides of the tubes.
It is understood from the museum publication that there is also a plate with 3-hole included in the whole set. I tried to re-create it from a sheet of brass and plug it into the belt apron.


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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This is one model of the two buckles.Wax work was in many stages. Due to the complexity of the elements and their small size.All wax parts are produced separately and assembled in metal when they are ready on the way that has been made in antiquity.
The angle from which  the buckle was photographed in the museum gives a different perspective of actually how it should look, so I've used other sources of scientific publications to reproduce correct shape of the object. Unfortunately, some of the photos are posted so long ago are very poor as a quality .Here the buckle can be seen from different perspective.
One of the belt buckles model in wax and metal work.
This second buckle which I created has a complex relief and is different as an idea of the ancient artist from the first one . Of course all of this refracted through my creative vision on the issue.
One of the belt buckles model in wax and metal work.
This second buckle which I created has a complex relief and is different as an idea of the ancient artist from the first one . Of course all of this refracted through my creative vision on the issue.
There is uncertainty as to whether the 2 nd wider buckle also had disks (similar to the smaller one) on both sides of the periphery and 2 discs inside the buckle. Have they been lost irretrievably during their use in antiquity? Or this is the result of dropping off the buckle due to the millennium stay in the aggressive soil!? This will remain a secret for us at this stage.


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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For this cinculum from Tekije I did the most appropriate apron studs . Diameter of the new apron studs model is– 18 mm.I had (to be more accurate to the original) to make new model with new sizes! It is a slow and precise process. My old model of apron studs for my Tekije silver belts  is with Size 25 mm.I realized that is larger than the archeology!
Size 18 mm. in diameter .Тhey are cast.
Citation of the latest scientific publications on the subject: Apron studs is size (range): 1,4 cm. , 1,8 cm. in diameter.
So I stopped myself on the  option  “18 mm. in diameter”. This is а Museum information.Publication in Serbian language. Luckily for me I understand this Slavic language.
My wax work on the issue .


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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For the Tekije belt model , I have to use this model of Terminal pendant and this cinculum apron studs. All of them mounted  wih this specific disks rivets.Nailing is made by hand on this small  surface .From the publications (that are with very bad photos from 50s of the last century) can be seen that not each pendants Crescent type are with punching decorations. So, in the same way I have made a similar configuration of decorated and clean crescent pendants.
Most likely through the buckle has passed a spearhead pendant. Which was a beautifully decorated end of the belt tongue.                            
Rivets for them have a complex concentric shape.


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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Finished belts are functional and reliable. No matter what color the leather is The end result is very good.


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Radostin Kolchev
(Adlocutio Cohortium)
http://legio-iiii-scythica.com/index.php/en/
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Beautiful!
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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