diff --git a/headers/private/shared/Variant.h b/headers/private/shared/Variant.h
index 4da5eb5b46..d0ca3bd7c8 100644
--- a/headers/private/shared/Variant.h
+++ b/headers/private/shared/Variant.h
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ public:
 			void*				ToPointer() const;
 			const char*			ToString() const;
 
+	static	size_t				SizeOfType(uint32 type);
+
 private:
 			void				_SetTo(const BVariant& other);
 			void				_SetTo(int8 value);
diff --git a/src/kits/shared/Variant.cpp b/src/kits/shared/Variant.cpp
index 8ca9fd9e44..c80e644584 100644
--- a/src/kits/shared/Variant.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/shared/Variant.cpp
@@ -220,6 +220,38 @@ BVariant::_SetTo(const BVariant& other)
 }
 
 
+/*static*/ size_t
+BVariant::SizeOfType(uint32 type)
+{
+	switch (type) {
+		case B_INT8_TYPE:
+			return 1;
+		case B_UINT8_TYPE:
+			return 1;
+		case B_INT16_TYPE:
+			return 2;
+		case B_UINT16_TYPE:
+			return 2;
+		case B_INT32_TYPE:
+			return 4;
+		case B_UINT32_TYPE:
+			return 4;
+		case B_INT64_TYPE:
+			return 8;
+		case B_UINT64_TYPE:
+			return 8;
+		case B_FLOAT_TYPE:
+			return sizeof(float);
+		case B_DOUBLE_TYPE:
+			return sizeof(double);
+		case B_POINTER_TYPE:
+			return sizeof(void*);
+		default:
+			return 0;
+	}
+}
+
+
 void
 BVariant::_SetTo(int8 value)
 {