Ornate belt buckle. Syria (Aleppo?), [19th century].
Silver (gilt), cast, pierced, and engraved; gemstones; glass beads; coins; other beads.
Composed of three parts. Square central part with tall, conical boss in middle surmounted by clover-like ornament. Flanked by two rectangular parts with scalloped arches, with bosses at center encircled by pierced decorations, and with back plate soldered on. Fifteen gemstones and colored glass beads adorn all three parts of buckle. Fourteen chains with pendants – coins, triangles, droplet-like ("boteh" or paisley) ornaments, a crescent, and additional ornaments, some inlaid with glass beads and other beads – dangle from bottom of buckle. Closed with two long pins.
26.5X21 cm. (including pendants).
Reference: The Arts and Crafts of Syria: Collection Antoine Touma and Linden-Museum Stuttgart, pp. 95, 164.