See more objects with the tag gold, women's fashion accessories, abstraction, personal adornment, luxury, ornamental, curving line.

Object Timeline

1905	Work on this object ended.
1967	We acquired this object.
1970	We photographed this object.
2022	We exhibited this object.
2024	You found it!

Buckle (France)

This is a buckle. It is dated ca. 1900 and we acquired it in 1967. Its medium is gold, opals, pearls, garnets. It is a part of the Product Design and Decorative Arts department.

Dominated by a large opal in its sinuous curvilinear gold mounting, this belt buckle was designed by Colonna, one of the originators of the art nouveau style, for dealer Siegfried “Samuel” Bing’s display at the 1900 Paris World’s Fair.

It is credited Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Maxime Hermanos.

This block-printed wallcovering is occupied by large tulip bulbs, stylized acanthus leaves, and curvy stems. The tulips are colored a muted green and yellow with dark green outlines. The background is a deep blue with thin, curved beige lines mimicking the curvature of the stems. The massive, curled leaves imitates crashing waves.

Sidewall, Tulip, 1893–1895
block-printed paper.
Gift of Dr. Francis J. Geck.
1980-73-32

Sidewall - Sample (USA)
machine-printed.
Gift of Dorwin L. Starr.
1985-19-114

Buckle (USA)
brass, copper, silver.
Gift of Michele Wiener Caplan.
1995-157-1

Our curators have highlighted 19 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:

A sculptural picture frame manifests the quinessential design of Art Nouveau in its structure. At the top of the metal frame sits a small mound or bead where flowing graceful lines meet. The lines of metal clasp above the mound then flow into waves that flutter and tiny mounds abound on the upper sides of the frame. Their path continues down to the halfway point of the sides encountering a cluster of wavy curling forms and tiny beads. Both sides morph into delicate elongated ovoids with negative inner space. They meet at the u-shaped bottom decorated with symmetrical wavy carvings in the base where a triangular form rests in the center. The bottom has positive space unlike the sides. As our eye returns to the top we see another line is attached under the mound to form amorphic openings with the sides. The inner area for the photograph possesses an unusual shape that follows the outer form of the frame and resembles the top of a human tongue. Elegant silk velvet is applied to the space between all sides and the photo and glass.

Picture Frame from Adeline Guimard’s Bedroom at Hôtel Guimard, Paris,...
brass, silver, plate glass, silk velvet.
Gift of Mme. Hector Guimard.
1956-76-7-a/c

Hair Ornament (China)
kingfisher feathers, lacquer, silk-covered wire.
Gift of William Dangaix Allen.
1939-73-11

A pear wood and leather art nouveau high backed side chair from the dining room of the Hotel Guimard. This chair is designed with a pear wood high curved backpanel that rounds off at its ends with irregular open shaped “handles” that maintain an abstracted motif that reference the movements and processes of nature. The handles are embellshed with tiny arabesque carvings. Below the wooden panel is a an attenuated pear like shaped designed leather upholstered back which is outlined in brass beading in oval and rounded shapes. On either side are slightly open slats that attach to the back of the seat. The seat is leather and also surrounded with brass beading at the edging. There is a small curved wooden apron and the legs are splay out and end with feet that are adorned with vegetal designs. The seat is of a mustard brown color and it shows much wear. This chair was part of a room that was designed in a most comprehensive expression of art nouveau.

Side Chair, from the Dining Room of the Hôtel Guimard, Paris, France Chair
pearwood, leather, brass.
Gift of Mme. Hector Guimard.
1948-114-1

Its dimensions are

H x W x D: 8 x 6 x 2 cm (3 1/8 x 2 3/8 x 13/16 in.)

It has the following markings

Stamped with mark for Samuel Bing's Art Nouveau in Paris (S N A B in a diamond-shaped lozenge.) (Note- stamp not located in 2008 or 2012)

Cite this object as

Buckle (France); gold, opals, pearls, garnets; H x W x D: 8 x 6 x 2 cm (3 1/8 x 2 3/8 x 13/16 in.); Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Maxime Hermanos; 1967-88-3

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Deconstructing Power : W. E. B. Du Bois at the 1900 World's Fair.

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2CBuV/
Accession Number 1967-88-3
Object ID 18459945