Posted 1 year ago
cerqueuxles
(2 items)
An exquisite hand beaded on wire belt with sterling silver etched buckles.
30 inches long by 3 inches wide.
I collected this in the 1970's for a fashion photo shoot.
I cannot remember the designer, and have not been able to find any existing info on it.
The belt will need a hairpin shaped piece of metal to slide between the silver buckles to close it.
cerqueuxles, Beautiful. :-)
A cotter pin would probably do the trick, e.g.:
https://www.intafast.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Cotter_pin_specs.pdf
Hi Keramikos,
Thank you so much for the info! It is probably the name of the pin that came with it...which I can't seem to find. Wow! So geat!
Wouldn’t a cotter pin make it very difficult to put on/take off?
I'm not sure.
I know it came with something like a cotter pin...but it was probably hand made.
Watchsearcher, It's a fair question. :-)
To my mind, a specialized cotter pin might work. That is, one with some kind of little decorative doodad at the top might make it easier to manipulate.
The metal of the pin was a question in my mind. I would think sterling silver would be too malleable, so maybe silver-plated steel or some other sturdier metal.
The hairpin shaped metal piece sounds easy to manipulate.
Watchsearcher, Maybe we're getting bogged down in semantics.
I suspect we're talking about the same general thing, which is essentially a piece of cylindrical wire bent in half to form a narrow U-shape.
Both hairpins -- and cotter pins can look like that. They can also have a more closed shape, and even have some crimps, like the bobby pin (a variety of hair pin).
I'm talking about the more open, crimpless shape.
Sorry for not getting it initially….my experience with cotter pins has been with the type whose prongs are meant to be forcibly bent open once they are in place so they cannot be easily removed.
I couldn’t imagine going to that kind of trouble for a belt. ;^)
But, now considering a cotter pin sans the “bendy” ends! Shaped like a Bobby pin….that would work!
Im on track with you now. :^)
Watchsearcher, No problem. :-)
I actually used a couple of short cotter pins as hinge pins to hold together a vintage bracelet. In this case, the slight springy-ness of the cotter pins worked to keep them in the hinge holes.
As it turns out, there are plenty of modern fashion hair pins out there that might serve as an acceptable replacement for the missing finding on the beaded belt. e.g.:
https://blueheronhairjewelry.com/collections/luxury-hair-pins-gold-silver-and-rose-gold-hair-pins/products/sterling-silver-hair-pin-gold-hair-pin-minimalist-hair-pins-modern-metal-hair-pins-long-hair-accessories-long-hair-jewelry
Another thought I had about the belt is that it looks Native American/Indigenous People’s style (and I’m certainly amateurish in my knowledge level). I think, if from those people, it might have been secured with a cord or thin leather tie.
Thank you Watchsearcher, I sent the photos to a few Native American dealers, and they didn't recognize it.
It's more likely that it is African. The Zulu, for example, make beaded belts that are often mistakenly identified as Native American Indian.
The colors used, the designs, and the beading technique itself (consisting of beaded coiled bands) all are more indicative of an African, rather than Native American, beaded belt.
Here it is
Stuff
Just linking these two related posts:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/315802-hand-beaded-wired-belt
Thank you all so much...this info is really helpful. I will check on Zulu motifs!
Update!
Mystery Solved! This is an African ZULU Umutsha Beaded Belt.
cerqueuxles, Cool. :-)
Could you please mark your post as "MYSTERY SOLVED?"