LONDON, ENGLAND.- A single-owner collection comprising 150 buckles is to be sold by international auctioneers Bonhams on Tuesday, 15 July. Amassed by one man who was spurred by his passion for collecting, the group offers an assortment of rare and unusual shoe, hat, belt and breeches’ buckles dating from the 18th century.
Buckles date as far back as medieval times. However, the term ‘buckle’ was coined by Samuel Pepys, in 1660, when he wrote: ‘This day I began to put on buckles to my shoe’ in his diary entry for 22, January. This was the first recorded instance of the word being used in the English language and also coincides with the rhyme ‘one, two buckle my shoe’, which is thought to derive from this period. By this time, buckles were separate to the shoe or garment and held by spikes to be fastened to hold it fast. The buckle consists of two parts: the operative part, known as the chape, was made separately to the decorative ring and was mass-produced in steel, while the ring was the work of a master ‘buckle maker’.
Developments in metalworking mirrored fashion allowing buckles to remain decorative, but also retain their practical use. Despite the range of buckles available, wealthy citizens of the 18th century commissioned buckle-makers to match the curves of their feet, while the less wealthy could choose from cheaper, ready-made examples. The fashion of wearing large buckles hit England and France simultaneously. A great supporter, and possible instigator, of some of the more extravagant trends was Louis IVX, although many of the styles originated in England and then filtered down through France to Spain.
Buckles also reflected a period in social history. In 1791, an uprising against the monarchy was instigated by English buckle-makers. Around 20,000 of them marched on London in with the hope of reviving the buckle demand that kept them in business. Makers from Wolverhampton, Walsall and Birmingham obtained an audience at Carlton House with the Prince of Wales and petitioned him to save a dying trade. He accepted their pleas, and commanded all the members of his court to resume wearing buckles. Despite this many buckle-makers went of business. It is thought that the French Revolution was the reason for the change in trend, as over-dressing became as unfashionable in England as it did in France.
Shoe buckles had almost completely died out by the early 1800s, although they were still used to accessorise shoes, a style adopted by the Victorians. Early buckles still exist in the resident collection at Kenwood House, but it is rare to see large collections on the open market.
The collection being sold by Bonhams shows a cross section of buckle fashions spanning three centuries. It is unusual for pairs to have survived, but the sale boasts several fine examples. One such pair of George III enamelled and paste knee buckles are estimated at £180-220, while one of the most valuable lots is a pair of paste set buckles, dating to around 1780. They are set with 42 torpedo-shaped mixed cut pastes, that is, heavy high-lead glass, which is more easily cut than diamonds. The glass is then backed with foil and sealed securely into the delicate steel framework of the buckle. Also demonstrating the same method is an oval pair comprising 24 mixed cut pastes to the edge with an inner ring of translucent blue enamel surrounding 11 set pastes in the centre (£180-220).
The collection makes up 45 lots in a sale of silver and vertu and includes a range of knee, shoe, stock, belt and breech buckles to be sold in small groups with estimates starting at £60.
