Silver-smithing in Malaysia began many centuries after the use of gold, as silver is not indigenous there, although it is mined in Burma, Laos and Thailand, and had to be imported by foreign traders. The silver industry in Malaysia declined in the 1930s when there was a shortage of silver and cheap commercial products came onto the market. Today there are only a few families who work with silver in Malaysia.
Large decorative belt buckles like this were mainly worn by men on official occasions. They were typically made of silver, which was not indigenous to Malaysia, and their size was an indicator of rank. In addition to serving as personal adornment, the jewellery of Southeast Asia generally is rich with symbolism and serves as an effective medium for displays of wealth and status. In Perak, where the buckle was probably made, court regalia also had magical connotations.
The design on the buckle, which was formed using the repoussé technique, is based on an open lotus flower surrounded by plant tendrils. In repoussé decoration the design stands out from the surface in relief. Those areas to be raised are worked into shape from the back while definition of the raised areas is done from the front and surface texture is added by chasing.
This object is one of a collection of belt buckles donated by Sir F J Benton on behalf of the New South Wales Applied Trust. The Trust, originally known as the New South Wales Collectors and Connoisseurs Society, was established in 1926 by Charles Laseron, who served at the Museum (formerly the Technological Museum), as collector and Officer in Charge, Applied Arts, from 1906 until 1929. The Trust was formed to hold a collection in readiness for the establishment of a new Applied Art Museum, though this was never to eventuate. Laseron and his companions gave items themselves and solicited donations along with cash from private donors to make purchases at forthcoming auctions. The Museum holds a number of letters from Laseron relating to this matter. In 1927 the Trust placed its impressive collection on indefinite loan to the Museum. This significant collection comprises 283 accessions and relates to an important period of the Museum's collecting history.
This belt buckle was made by Malay craftsmen in South East Asia.
Belt buckles like this were mainly worn by men on official occasions. Their size was an indicator of rank. They were typically made of silver, which was not indigenous to Malaysia. The finely-embossed design on this example is based on an open lotus flower surrounded by plant tendrils. In Perak, where this pinding was probably made, court regalia and jewellery had magical connotations.
The delicate interlaced pattern on this pinding is characteristic of Islamic art, which prohibited the use of animal and human representations. They are ornamented with niello work, in which black enamel is applied to the recessed surfaces of an object, fired to fuse the enamel then polished. The Malays probably learned the art of niello from Thai craftsmen in Pattani.
This belt buckle was made in 1926.
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