Buckle

Status

Not on view

Label Text

This silver buckle was likely acquired by Martha Washington during her first marriage to Daniel Parke Custis, and may have been used by her to accent a sash around her waist or fasten a shoe. The square-cut glass pastes around its frame acted as a functional yet radiant alternative to diamonds. When worn on formal occasions, it would have complemented the array of clear and colored paste and garnet jewelry with which she preferred to adorn herself.

Read MoreRead Less

Date1740-1760

Geography Made - England

Medium/TechniqueSilver, glass, gold

DimensionsOverall: 1 3/4 in. x 2 1/16 in. x 5/16 in. (4.45 cm x 5.23 cm x 0.79 cm) Other (curve of buckle): 3/16 in. (0.48 cm)

Credit LineAcquired through the generosity of Mrs. William H. Borthwick, Vice Regent for California, and Mr. Borthwick, 2008

Object numberW-2555

DescriptionD-shaped silver buckle set with twenty-four, square cut pastes; four large square pastes set at compass points along the cast, open frame and two additional large square pastes set at the ears or points of the shield; the two large pastes directly above and below the hinge are foiled with yellow; hinge consists of gold pin supporting three segments; two segments of the hinge support a roll consisting of two adjoining, outward-facing "C" scrolls topped with a crown; central segment of hinge supports a two tined tongue.
Published ReferencesCarol Borchert Cadou, The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon (New York: Hudson Hills Press, 2006), 238.

Martha Gandy Fales, "The Jewelry" Magazine Antiques 135/2 (February 1989): 513.

Mount Vernon's object research is ongoing and information about this object is subject to change. For information on image use and reproductions, click here.