Belt buckle (pending), silver with chased and repoussé decoration, Perak, Malaysia, 19th century

Belt buckle (pending) of silver, eye-shape. Decorated with chased floral design and lotus petals in repoussé.

Bequeathed by E.S. Wilkinson

This belt buckle was collected by R.J. Wilkinson in Perak, Malaysia.

IS.250 to 451-1950 and IS.1 to 7-1952, came from the collection of Mr. Richard James Wilkinson (1867-1941), who was formerly Deputy Governor of the Straits Settlement (1911 to 1916) and later Governor of Sierra Leone (1916-1922). He had acquired a collection of mostly Malay silverware and goldware, niello work, arms, etc. in Singapore and the Federated Malay States, which on 23 June 1919 was lent to the Indian Section of the V&A with the possibility of later making a bequest. A second loan of Malay brasswork followed on 31 October 1921. A total of 209 pieces were finally bequeathed to the V&A on 26 October 1950 following the death of his widow, Mrs Edith Sinclair Wilkinson.

Belt buckles such as this were a distinctive accessory in Malay court dress and wedding attire. They were made of gold or silver, depending on the status of the owners. Belt buckle was worn with a sash around the waist to secure a sarong, a practice adopted from nearby Java. This example is ornamented with lotus flowers.

IS.62-1975