This unusual antique belt buckle features a pair of matching decorative plaques beautifully painted with scenes of elegantly dressed women in traditional Japanese kimono. Each plaque has a softly scalloped outline and displays a finely detailed miniature painting reminiscent of Satsuma ware, characterized by a delicately crackled ivory ground, rich gold highlights, and carefully rendered figures.

The scenes depict groups of women styled like geisha or courtly ladies wearing ornate kimono. Their robes are decorated with intricate textile patterns in warm tones of rust, gold, sage green, and indigo. The figures are arranged in an intimate gathering, suggesting secret conversations from their subtle expressions! We love the elaborately coiffed bijin (traditional Japanese beauties).

Each small plaque is framed by with a dark border dotted with raised gilt accents, giving the pieces a jewel-like appearance. The fine network of crackle glaze across the cream-colored background is called craquelure. It is one of the defining visual features of Satsuma ware.

The raised enamel and gold decoration on the kimono and hair ornaments is called moriage and was a signature decorative technique used during the Meiji period when Japanese artisans produced highly detailed miniature paintings for export to Europe and America.

The two plaques are mounted into a silver-tone belt buckle fitting with a central clasp and bars on the reverse designed to secure the belt strap. The hardware appears to be Western in form, suggesting the piece was made for the Western market in the early 1900s as luxury accessories during the height of Japanism, when Western collectors were fascinated with Japanese imagery and craftsmanship. These small decorative panels were made in Japan and exported to the US to be made into brooches, buckles, pendants, and etc.

There is a small chip on the lower edge of one plaque (see photo) and a hairline crack as well.

1.5" x 1.5" each clasp