Art Nouveau Rose-Gold-Tone Floral Buckle
A beautifully decorative Art Nouveau buckle featuring an elegant openwork design of flowing foliage and a wonderfully sculptural flower. The warm rose-gold tones and softly naturalistic decoration are wonderfully evocative of the romantic jewellery and accessories of the turn of the twentieth century.
Details
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Date: Circa 1890–1910
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Period: Art Nouveau
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Material:Sterling silver with rose-gold finish
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Colour: Warm rose-gold and yellow-gold tones
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Design: Flower with scrolling leaves and foliate decoration
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Type: Belt or dress buckle
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Dimensions: 6 x 4.5cm
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Construction: Openwork metal buckle with three-prong fitting
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Marks: French continental marks to back
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Origin: Art Nouveau
Condition
Great antique condition, with gentle signs of age and wear consistent with a piece dating from around the turn of the twentieth century.
There is some variation to the colour and finish of the metal, together with areas of natural patination, all of which contribute to the character of this antique piece.
Please refer closely to the photographs, which form part of the description.
History
The Art Nouveau movement flourished across Europe around the turn of the twentieth century, bringing a new freedom and fluidity to jewellery and decorative design. Rather than looking to earlier historical styles, its designers took inspiration from the natural world, particularly flowers, leaves, vines and the graceful curves of growing plants.
Decorative buckles became fashionable accessories during this period and offered designers a larger canvas than conventional jewellery. Worn prominently at the waist, elaborate buckles could transform a dress or belt and were frequently treated as pieces of jewellery in their own right.
The flowing foliage and wonderfully dimensional flower of this example are characteristic of the Art Nouveau fascination with natural forms, while the warm metallic tones give the piece an especially romantic quality.
Heritage House Note
A beautiful little piece of wearable decorative art. We particularly love the sculptural flower and the mixture of warm metallic tones — a wonderfully feminine Art Nouveau accessory that could be worn again today or simply enjoyed as a charming piece of turn-of-the-century design.
