Belts & Buckles Jewelry

A sterling buckle, cast with Vishnu seated between elephants. Belts and belt buckles here come from Jaipur in India and from Bali, in sterling silver, leather and mammoth tusk. The Jaipur buckles depict the sun god on horseback and Vishnu with elephants, borrowing the imagery of Rajasthani temple and court art. From Bali come a leather belt fastened with a dragon-head buckle and a skull buckle set with mammoth tusk.

Balinese silverwork is known for dense, hand-worked detail, and these contemporary pieces follow that lead. The Indian buckles adapt a jeweler’s casting and chasing to a thoroughly Western accessory, which turns out to suit a god quite well. Worn with dark denim or a plain leather strap, a buckle like this becomes the point of the whole outfit. The selection is small, which seems fair for an object that only ever comes one to a belt.