Selections from the Treasure

The material culture that the Avars left behind is difficult to analyze, as a great deal of the data concerning it is relatively ambiguous. The craftsmanship of the extant work, however, is superb, and the large amount of gold and silver metalwork that belonged to the Avar matches the reputation of their wealth well. Many of their material items were buried with them, as they seemed to favor this over passing their wealth down from generations on. Some of the types of items that were often placed in graves were the types of items that are found in the Vrap Treasure- belt mounts especially seem to be a common item found in Avar graves, and examples such as the gilded belt mounts of the Vrap Treasure- of which there were some odd 30 found in the hoard- are considered to have been status symbols in Avar society. The same can be said of a great number of Avar items; the culture’s large wealth of precious metals allowed the acquisition of large treasures, such as the Vrap Treasure, by the social elite.

Considering the ambiguity concerning the details of its acquisition, it is unknown exactly to whom the Vrap Treasure belonged. The two most likely options are that it either belonged to an Avar Chief, as it is one of the largest hoards of Avar wealth ever found at once, or that it was the collection of a master Avar goldsmith, who had crafted most of the hoard. The primary evidence behind the latter option is that a number of the belt fittings appear to be incomplete, and a number of them also appear to show little to no signs of wear, as though they were never actually used; both belt fittings included amongst these selections of the treasure have this trait. As the Avar placed great value in their metalwork, goldsmiths and the like had a high social status, ranking amongst the ruling class. That a goldsmith would have such a sizable hoard would not be out of the ordinary.

The Vrap Treasure has a number of traits that relate it to the Byzantine Empire; in fact, a number of the vessels appear to have been intended to imitate Byzantine style, and may even have been intended as counterfeits of Byzantine vessels. These vessels, such as the Ewer of Zenobius and the Gold Goblet with Personifications of Cyprus, Rome, Constantinople, and Alexandria, have Imperial production marks, such as stamps, on them, suggesting the attempt to imitate Byzantine objects. The Goblet, in addition, imitates the style of Imperial Tyche iconography, utilizing personifications of cities of great importance to the Christian world in a style much like that of Roman art.

Some scholars believe that these are signs that these objects actually are Byzantine in origin, but this seems unlikely, as the Imperial production marks all fail to match up with genuine Byzantine marks from the same period. In addition, the belt fittings found in the Vrap Treasure are almost certainly of Avar origin, as fittings of this type are a part of most Avar finds, albeit often in lesser quality and quantity than in the Vrap Treasure. That the Avars would attempt to imitate Byzantine style is likely a result of their complex relationship with the Byzantine world, as a great deal of the gold and silver that their artisans worked with came from their various military engagements alongside and against the forces of Constantinople.