Buckle

Object Name:

Buckle

Object ID:

1996.512.01 - .10

Description:

Buckles, nine pairs, and one set of three.
.01 Pair of identical brass and silver buckles. Height: 2.44", width: 3", depth: 1.3", weight: 2.3 oz. Convex rectangle with rounded corners. Surface appears to be silver on brass. Back side and tongue shape brass colored. Pin brass. Chape slightly mushroom-shaped with two arms that meet on elongated strip at pin. Chape has bar that connects two arms at pin. Two arms then swell slightly and create flattened, round cap at end. Two short spikes on slightly-rounded end. Stamped floral decorations on area on front at pin on frame. Also, floral decorations at middle of each end and a simple decoration in rounded corners. Small serrations around outside edge. Small beads around inside edge of frame. Back of frame and edges smooth and slightly polished. Chape and tongue surfaces smooth and edges slightly rounded. Second buckle: height: 2.48", width: 3.1", depth: 1.3", weight: 2.1 oz.
.02 Pair of identical steel, brass, and mother-of-pearl buckles. Height: 2.31", width: 2.91", depth: 1.24", weight: 1.89 oz. Convex rectangle with rounded corners. Made of brass. 28 round mother-of-pearl discs on edges of frame, 0.39" diameter, mounted on surface with polished round-head rivet in center holding discs in place. Two missing mother-of-pearl discs. Small semi-circular cut on edge of discs where it meets adjoining to each disc. Flat frame material polished on back side and rivet heads flush and polished on back. Frame slightly smaller than discs. Curved rib at top and bottom edges through which pin held in place. Trapezoid with a short edge at pin pivot for chape. Two short sharp spikes on outer edge of chape. Two long spikes connected center of spikes with curved arm for tongue. Slightly-curved decorative arm connecting the two spikes of tongue to pivot at base of tongue. Slightly-curved pivot element at base of tongue. Tongue and chape polished steel. Pin steel. Second buckle: height: 2.31", width: 2.93", depth: 1.29", weight: 1.98 oz.
.03 Pair of identical brass and steel buckles. Height: 1.62", width: 1.94", depth: 0.54", weight: 0.663 oz. Convex rectangle with slightly-rounded corners. Rectangular inner frame joined with outer frame at each corner and at center of each side. Frame surface on front polished. Frame brass. Chape and tongue steel. Two spikes to tongue curved at base and meet at a pivot on steel pin. Chape frame trapezoidal and meets at a pivot piece with tongue pivot in center. Two small spikes on straight end piece. Chape and tongue smooth with some slight corrosion on them. Back of frame smooth with short curved rib at top and bottom that holds ends of pin. Frame corner connections rectangular and connections at center of each side diamond-shaped. Slight copper color on shiny frame surface.
Second buckle: height: 1.68", width: 1.94", depth: 0.54", weight: 0.65 oz.; surface more tarnished and not as shiny; slightly more corrosion on surface of tongue and chape; chape and tongue do not pivot easily on pin.
.04 Pair of identical brass, silver, and steel buckles. Height: 2.41", width: 2.53", depth: 0.94", weight: 1.441 oz. Convex rectangle with slightly-rounded corners. Figure-eight shape at center of frame over pin with fanciful floral decoration at top and bottom. Raised X design elements around front of rest of frame. Front surface of frame appears to be silver or silver-colored. Back of frame tarnished brass with smooth and rounded surfaces. Small elliptical shape member connecting the two long spikes and small hemispherical element at pivot of.tongue. Chape trapezoidal with two small spikes on outer edge. Outer edge slightly bent. Slight corrosion on surfaces of tongue and chape. Tongue and chape were smooth and polished somewhat in their original state. "W*TOT...." inside of chape; on all three the "TO" could be "TU". Second buckle: height: 2.4", width: 2.51", depth: 0.99", weight: 1.48 oz.; same as its mate except long arm on chape not bent.
.05 Set of three identical brass and steel buckles. Height: 2.09", width: 2.92", depth: 1.18", weight: 1.72 oz. Frame convex rectangle with slightly-rounded corners. Beaded decoration along inside and outside of wide frame. Small, raised ribs cast in place between inside and outside edges. Slight depression in center of each rib. Ribs with mitred appearance at corners. 16 raised ribs per inch of framed length. Depression down center of ribs ~.0001". Tongue with two long spikes that meet at common base where they swing on pivot pin. Chape trapezoidal and meets at a slightly-curved element at pivot pin. Two short spikes on outer, straight edge. Chape and tongue both concave from front and both have smooth and polished surfaces on their front and back. Back of frame finished and smooth. Second buckle: height: 2.1", width: 3", depth: 1.13", weight: 1.67 oz.; same as first with differences described in Condition field; "W[*]TOT[I..]" on inside of chape. Third buckle: height: 2.08", width: 2.92", depth: 1.2", weight: 1.76 oz.; ends of frame have slightly more polished appearance than other two; less corrosion than other two on chape and tongue; partial characters stamped on flat edge of chape: "W [*] T[O]TI[N]"; letters just on inside edge between the spikes on back surface of chape.
.06 Pair of identical steel buckles. Height: 2.98", width: 2.89", depth: 0.9", weight 1.75 oz. Convex square with rounded corners. Frame elements between middle of each side have two bevels and flat front. Cast fanciful, simple, symmetrical floral decoration on center of each edge. May be some silver on front due to color of tarnish. Back surface smooth. Small rib on back surface where pins held. Trapezoidal chape with two small spikes. Rectangular element opposite chape below tongue with rounded corners and slightly-rounded end. Also, fine element parallel to end with small rib connecting to the two pieces. Sides of this piece extend to pin where they connect short arm that extends near center. Two-pronged tongue on central element on pin with two additional, short, parallel elements that connect with longer piece that runs between the short spikes on end on tongue. Tongue pivots in center. Second element on same side has pivots adjacent to tongue. Chape pivots at outer ends of pin inside frame. Chape and second large element have polished and blued surfaces on front and back. Polished surfaces on front and back of tongue. Second buckle: height: 2.98", width: 2.83", depth: 0.9", weight: 1.776 oz.; similar to first piece except slightly more corrosion on back and front of chape, tongue, and secondary piece.
.07 Pair of brass and steel buckles, identical in shape but one plain and one decorated. Decorated buckle: height: 2.02", width: 2.85", depth: 0.93", weight: 1.002 oz. Shape convex rectangle with rounded corners. Frame made up of oval shapes with central, longitudinal bar. These connected at their ends with round discs. Two elements at top and bottom and one at each end. Symmetrical, fanciful, stamped elements to round disc. Series of stamped diamond shapes in central bar in each of ovals. Front surface of frame polished. Sides of frame with decorations smooth, but retain fine file marks. Two-pronged tongue with sharp ends that meets at common point where pivots on pin. Trapezoidal chape with curved sides and flat long end with two spikes. Curved arms meet a slightly-curved element which is pivot for chape. Chape and tongue smooth but retain some tool marks. Back of frame smooth, but with some tool marks on it. Undecorated buckle: height: 2.01", width: 2.78", depth: 0.93", weight: 1.022 oz.; similar to first one but with no stamped decorations on it.
.08 Pair of identical steel buckles. Height: 1.45", width: 1.16", depth: 0.17", weight: 0.31 oz. Flat "D" shape with slight bulge in frame where pin passes through sides. Two-pronged tongue, centrally pivoted. Second element opposite tongue with rectangular bar with beveled ends. At its center, arms extend to top and bottom where they pivot on pin. This piece flat on front and back. Frame front slightly rounded. Appears that frame front also polished and internal elements were polished as well. Back of frame smooth. Second buckle: height: 1.45", width: 1.16", depth: 0.17", weight: 0.348 oz.; same as first piece except for more corrosion on its elements.
.09 Pair of identical buckles. Body pewter or other non-magnetic alloy, with steel chape and tongue. Height: 1.77", width: 2.51", depth: 0.7", weight: 0.715 oz. Convex oval shape. Oval shaped inner and outer rail. Fine cast, simple floral decorations. Short ribs with Xs on front surface that connect inner and outer elements. Fine cast bead on inside of outer element. Bead opposite it on outside of inner oval. Two ovals on either side of a semi-circle on inside of inner element. Two short arcs at ends across inner element. These arcs and semi-circles have cast simple leaves on them. One spike broken on tongue near its base. Other spike curved to a central point where it pivots on pin. Chape trapezoidal and meets straight element where it pivots on pin. Two short spikes on chape. Second buckle: height: 1.75", width: 2.36", depth: 1.8", weight: 0.71 oz.; tongue complete, but turned 180 degrees due to upward curve, or concave rather than convex.
.10 Pair of identical steel buckles. Height: 2.22", width: 2.72", depth: 1.84", weight: 1.2 oz. Cast steel alloy. Convex oval with cast and/or stamped simple, fanciful floral decorations. Outer oval shape with beaded outer edge. Inner oval connected at ends and center of long sides by decorative elements. Eight additional short decorative ribs connecting inside and outside. Open spaces between ovals. Tongue with two long spikes connected by oval rib. Slight arc to tongue pivot. Chape trapezoidal with two spikes on inside of outer straight element. Sides connect to straight element that pivots on central pin. Tongue and chape smooth and polished on front and back. Smooth surface to back of frame. Second buckle: height: 2.27", width: 2.27", depth: 1.05", weight: 1.214 oz.; same as first piece except for bluing on chape on front and back.

Material:

Metal
Steel
Brass
Silver
Mother-of-pearl

Brass
Silver
Brass

Mot

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Collection

Subjects:

Buckles