fibula

A 6th century bow fibula found in north-eastern France and the German Rhineland. They were worn by Frankish noblewomen in pairs at the shoulder or as belt ornaments. Germanic fibulæ, early 5th century, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna Hellenistic Greek Braganza Brooch, 250–200 BC, British Museum, London Visigothic eagle-shaped fibulae, 6th century, found at Tierra de Barros, Spain, made of sheet gold over bronze, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. Luristan bronze fibula showing a woman giving birth flanked by two antelopes, ornamented with flowers, found in Iran, 1000 to 650 BC, Louvre museum, Paris Lombardic gilded silver brooch from Tuscany, c. AD 600, one of the largest of its kind, British Museum, London

A fibula (/ˈfɪbjʊlə/, pl.: fibulae /ˈfɪbjʊli/) is a brooch or pin for fastening garments, typically at the right shoulder. The fibula developed in a variety of shapes, but all were based on the safety-pin principle. Unlike most modern brooches, fibulae were not only decorative; they originally served a practical function: to fasten clothing for both sexes, such as dresses and cloaks.