Quatrefoil spiral fibula (garment pin) c. 7th century

Editor: Okay, next up we have what's called a "Quatrefoil Spiral Fibula" - a bronze garment pin, made by the Etruscans around the 7th century. It’s on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. The first word that springs to my mind is “ancient,” but also somehow intricate. The pin is shaped like a four-leaf clover, and each leaf has this swirling spiral design. I find it beautiful despite its age, a real testament to design. How do you interpret such an early design? Curator: Intricate, yes! I think, with a name like "Quatrefoil Spiral Fibula", it wants to take itself seriously, but honestly, it winks at me. It is this solid thing but has dynamic spirals, these whirlpools frozen in time! I imagine its original owner, perhaps, flashing some metallic, earthy bling when pinning their robes together. More than just a pin, it’s a story – a story of status, ingenuity and probably…cold Etruscan mornings. And the spirals! Aren’t they lovely? Makes you think about growth, about movement even when it's perfectly still. How would this look if it was gold? Flashier, right? Less connected to the earth, do you think? Editor: Definitely less earthy. It loses a sense of history in gold, doesn’t it? Almost too pristine. This one seems to whisper tales of the past. The spirals almost draw you in, a miniature meditation aid, perhaps? Curator: A mini-meditation! I love that, yes, to calm yourself, to enter an introspective state, so beautiful in its implicit function. All that from a bronze-age safety pin. You know, every time I look at art from this era, I feel like they were on to something we've since forgotten. Simplicity with depth, you know? Editor: It's been such a pleasure viewing something old in a new way! I will definitely not forget the little details and implicit functionality of the 'safety pin.'