Satsuma buckle

Oh, pretty! -- No help with your questions, though.

 

I'm just curious but . . . how large (or small) are they when joined together?

I know how my mother would have used them if they are small enough.

 

Thank you for the measurements, Bookahtoo -- they are a bit "too big" for how my mother would have used them, but golly they remain lovely to me.

 

My gut feel is French - many of the makers marks are in those diamond cartouches.

 

Not French, no symbol in the lozenge and no quality marks - almost certainly a Japanese mark, also fairly often found in a diamond shape, and would suspect at least sterling, if not higher fineness. With the relatively simple design in bright colors, as well as the lack of a stippled background or gold encrustation, your Satsuma buckle most likely dates well into the 20th century. Similar pieces can be found with same marks, but find no additional information, however others made of the same basic construction are found with the 'Shimazu' cross-in-circle mark stamped into the metal. Pretty, I'm a sucker for Satsuma buttons, buckles, hatpins, etc...

~Cheryl

 

Your pics were fine - the older ones were typically more intricate and carefully done, with more muted colors, gold stippling over the entire background, and touches of raised gold encrustation. Seem to recall there are some other clues to dating (like different shanks on buttons), but am unable to access my references at the moment...

~Cheryl

 

Did you find the marks on gotheborg.com?

 

It's for porcelain, but I'm thinking if it's made in Japan it might have similar marks, but I guess that's kind of random. I'd say I had too much wine before I posted that, but I didn't have any so that must be the problem. Brain not functioning the right way.

 

I'm ignorant on this stuff so maybe I'm talking to myself here, but I find it a bit odd that anyone would use expensive sterling for the back out-of-view and structural parts of such an item. The color doesn't look like sterling, either, does it? Maybe pewter?

 

Looks like silver in need of a clean to me, spring. No, not that unusual at all. Silver was cheap until relatively recently. In 1984, for example, six dollars an ounce.