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This pair of rectangular men's shoe buckles are curved to fit the top of a shoe. Each buckle is embellished with carefully fitted square and rectangular colorless pastes set in silver, with an engraved gilt metal inner border. The chapes and tongues are steel. The pair are in their original black leather fitted case with a pink silk satin lining.
buckles (strap accessories)
fasteners
paste (glass)
silver (metal)
steel (alloy)
gold alloy
Federal
Buckle
Buckle, Shoe
Buckle, Shoe
When Benjamin Joy married Hannah Barrell in 1797 his shoe buckles far outshone his bride's delicate ivory miniatures. These enormous buckles are made of silver, gold, and topaz-colored pastes, suitably glamorous accessories for America's first consul in Calcutta, India.
The cut glass stones, called pastes, are backed with copper-colored foil to look like expensive topaz.
"Shoe Buckles - B. Joy Esq / Property of C.H. Joy / property of B. Joy" (Ink)
1298
Unknown
Birmingham, England
2 1/4 x 2 15/16 x 1 1/4 (HxWxD) (inches)
Gift of Mrs. Francis Gray
1953.41a-c
"Walk Right In," Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities November 1998 - March 1999; and "Jewelry at Historic New England," Online exhibit presented by Historic New England launched September 30, 2007 at www.historicnewengland.org/jewelryhistory/.
Probably Birmingham (Birmingham borough, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom)
Title Shoe Buckles Accession Number 1953.41
Title Jewelry Set Accession Number 1953.42
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