Purpose of the bar on the back of this vintage pendant?

I have no clue why this item has a bar on the back? I can't see it working as a belt buckle or scarf slide, so assume it was meant as a pendant.

It's about 1-1/4" in diameter. I believe I've had it since around 2000, so think it's from the last half of the 20th century.

Could the bar be there simply to hang things from, like tassles or drops? What do you all think?

 

One half of a cloak buckle? The other half would have had a hook and both had bars to secure it to the fabric.

 

Absolutely!

 

The broken out bit on either end makes me think a pin assembly that came off.

 

That makes sense, AJ... thanks!

 

I hadn't looked closely at the ends of the bar, but just did. It doesn't look like anything is broken off but, interestingly, there's a hole at each end and both holes are filled with what looks like clear glass. Unless it's just decorative, it seems odd?

 

If it's a cloak buckle, what decade would it probably be from?

 

Is it possible someone dabbed in clear nail polish or some clever kyratisation material to keep those spots from being rough? Otherwise, very odd.

 

The clear substance is set in below the surface, so it wouldn't help with any roughness on the outside. Don't know about the inside since there isn't enough space to feel the surface or see very well.