A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.
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Comments
Adding close up of the six-petal flower.
Dear Lynn: This is a gorgeous piece! Congratulations! Peter
Fantastic find, Lynn! Congratulations.
This is impressive Lynn. I don't think I have seen another belt buckle from Cyprus. Do you think it originated there or on the mainland? Fantastic shape of the central component and interesting that the other two components mirror that shape but horizontally.
Hi Thema, I have no firsthand knowledge but the V&A states that it originated on the island. Here is what they have to say: "Cypriot clasps are part of the general Ottoman tradition, but are often more sophisticated and decorative than those from elsewhere. The goldsmiths of Cyprus were famous for their filigree although they rarely marked their work. This clasp was described as 18th century when it was acquired, and this may be true. It was bought in 1888, just after a terrible famine, when many people had to sell their family heirlooms to survive."
There is one buckle in their collection similar to this that was dated to 1730s-1750s by the tughras. This one has markings but I will need an Ottoman reference to decipher them. If anyone can date Ottoman silver markings I will take some more photos.
This is a very beautiful example. This is one that i thought was Armenian and worn and used by Jewish clients.
You can see the similarity and difference during these times however my thought is that mine also was either 17th or 18th c it was very big and also had a type of paste like enameling like faience which looked very early. I love the shapes of these buckles and the work in them . What is the measurement of your belt? The one i sold was very large , huge.
Linda I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this buckle. I have seen the beautiful one that you sold and it was one of the pieces I studied when I tried to find attribution. Yours may yet be Armenian as the filigree has some elements (like the leaves with granulation) that don't appear in anything that the V&A attributes as Cypriot. But, there is definitely a connection. Perhaps the ethnicity of the silversmiths.
This buckle is 7" wide and 3.75" high. The only one in the V&A that had marks for dating, dated to the 1730s. So this buckle may be very old, and I imagine yours was even older. Mine does have some faint marks, I will try to take a photo of them and post them. I think I will have to find some serious reference material to date them unless someone here is an expert in old Ottoman silver marks.
A fabulous piece, Lynn. I thought it was yours at first, and have only just seen it is from the V&A but thank you for posting it! Absolutely top of the tree ...
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