Belt for a Lady's Dress
Belt for a Lady's Dress, Italy, Siena (?), 14th century c. 1375-1400
1930.742
Not on display
Because of its extraordinary richness, this belt (known as a girdle) would have been considered by its owner to be both a sumptuous ornament for the body and an object of great personal luxury. Almost eight feet in length, belts like this were at the height of fashion for both men and women. After being passed around the waist and through the buckle, one end of the belt would fall to the hem of the garment.
The belt's many colorful enamel plaques are worked in translucent enamel over decoration engraved into the silver beneath (an enameler's technique known as basse-taille). Within the plaques and cast into the buckle are scenes of courtly love, musicians, and fantastic animals. A large number of translucent enamels were made for domestic use during the late Middle Ages--for use on jewelry, cups, wine fountains, and similar objects. This belt is a rare survival among these now scarce objects.
Images Copyright © the artist, their estate, and/or the Cleveland Museum of Art.
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