The movable belt ferrule with a hanging loop presented in the exhibition of the State Museum-Reserve “Kulikovo Field” in the hall “Rus and Horde: 14th Century Warfare” is a detail of a 14th–century costume, specifically a waist belt. The base of the ferrule in the form of a frame has an elongated trapezoidal shape with a rounded top and is cast of a copper alloy. A rectangular loop is soldered to the bottom of the base, and a thin ornamented strip is soldered onto the front of the base. This strip depicts a fire-breathing dragon. The ornament on the ferrule is created using the die-stamping technique.
The presented ferrule is part of a shoulder belt worn for suspending a saber or sword.
The ferrule has a rather complex design. All three overlay holders consist of three parts. The high quality of this item’s craftsmanship indicates the excellent skills of the Golden Horde masters.
In the Golden Horde, blacksmithing was well established. The range of products was extremely wide: bits, chainmail, rings from harnesses, helmets, arrowheads, spearheads, and heads of darts, buckles, hooks from quivers, overlays, patches, holders, stirrups, horseshoes, flints, plate armor, knives, axes, nails, locks, keys, saddle coverings, drills, chisels, needles, tweezers, livestock branding tools, scythes, sickles, hoes, shovel blades, maces, sabers, flails, daggers, wood chisels, scissors, fishing hooks, and more.
The Golden Horde also had a highly developed non-ferrous metallurgy. Techniques such as casting, embossing, stamping, engraving, and soldering were used. The products of non-ferrous metalworking included a large number of various items: buckles, overlays, tips, plates, holders, pendants, patches, belt rings, buttons, fasteners, bowstring rings, saber crossguards, ferrules, and coverings for knife handles, wire, mace heads, decorative nails, rings, and others.
On the front overlay of the presented ferrule, a mythical creature — a dragon — is depicted twisting in the clouds. In the Tatar-Mongolian artistic tradition, the dragon symbolized power.
