A SUMATRAN SILVER AND NIELLO MAN BELT BUCKLE,... Lot 39

A SUMATRAN SILVER AND NIELLO MAN BELT BUCKLE, PENDING Late 19th - early 20th century 22,5 x 12 cm Of ogival form with jagged edges and pointed sides, richly decorated with floral motifs and geometric design. Provenance: Acquired before 1975. Belt buckles like this were worn with textile belts on ceremonial occasions. Their size and intricacy of decoration are emblems of the rank of the owner. A very similar belt buckle is in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (inv. IS.72-1975), others are in the Power House Museum (39A 8.1.2007) and in the Asian Civilisation museum in Singapore (inv. 1992-00578); see also B. Carpenter, Ethnic Jewellery from Indonesia. Continuity and Evolution, Singapore 2012, p. 115.