Belt buckle
Accessories
Inventory number
2022.2.9.1.AC.BL.C1793.FRDescription
Large oval belt buckle in polished cut steel, with openwork Neoclassical decoration in transitional, between the Louis XVI and Empire styles, early Directoire style, embellished with half cut round faceted steel beads, forming three rows on the frame, with larger beads in the middle row. The center of the buckle has a miniature painted on ivory under glass, representing two women, dressed in ancient Roman costumes: the woman on the left is wearing a white blouse with pink skirt, and the lady on the right is wearing a blue tunic with yellow skirt and red toga. Both women have short cut curly hair, and are shown holding hands in the garden, with a male caracter hiding in the bushes on the left. The back of the buckle is lined with blue silk taffeta over a cardboard base.The piece of silk, used for the lining, represents two visible lines of stitches, which means that it was cut from a part of an existing gown. After the French Revolution of 1789, the fashion changed radically during the following decade, abandoning the elaborated dresses made of silk and lame, for more light and transparent materials such as cotton. The garment becomes more loose and flounce, uses more pastel colours, such as white, and is usually accentuated on the waistline with a contrasting colour belt. The already created by dressmakers gowns of previous styles were either transformed according to new fashions, or reused, like in the case of this buckle.
Materials
Cut steelWatercolor on ivory
Silk
Cardboard
Origin
circa 1793 France or EnglandDimensions
Length : 7 cmHeight : 9.5 cm