Horse bridle bed; Low Roman Empire, Visigothic period, 5th-7th century A.D.

Horse bridle bed; Lower Roman Empire, Visigothic period, 5th-7th century AD.
Bronze.
Measurements: 9 x 8,5 x 0,5 cm.
Horse bridle bed being an ornament of the horse's bit or tack, rather than a simple functional object; its bimorphic form, two animal figures facing each other or in opposite profile joined by an upper shaft that would serve to hold straps or harnesses, suggests that it not only fulfilled a practical function, but also a symbolic and status function.
The Visigoth bronze bridle bed presented bears a remarkable resemblance to one of the famous horse bits that until recently formed part of the medieval collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York: specifically, the Visigothic pendant that showed two animals facing each other, a composition very close to that of this piece, both in the frontal approach of the beasts and in the way their bodies are integrated into a compact and symmetrical design typical of Visigothic goldsmithing and aulic metalwork.
The MET piece became part of the collection in 1990 through the British dealer Robin Symes. At that time, its provenance was not credited, and the pieces were incorporated into the museum's display cases in the medieval art section. However, subsequent investigations by the Antiquities Trafficking Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney's Office revealed that both pendants had been plundered in Spain.
The action of this unit, especially active since the arrival of Alvin Bragg to the Prosecutor's Office in 2021, made it possible to trace the illicit itinerary of numerous pieces, and the investigation determined their irregular departure from Spain and ordered their restitution. The museum, after receiving the documentary evidence, withdrew the pieces from the exhibition and in its digital catalog since then the indication "Restituted in April 2025" appears. On July 24 of the same year, the works were formally returned to the Spanish authorities.