Silver belt - Java - pending - Indonesia

Silver belt
Peranakan Community, Java, Indonesia
circa 1910
length: 65 cm, (excluding the buckle) weight: 233 g
Belts like this were used by the Peranakan Chinese (locally) on women from Java and the Straits (nonyas), particularly in Singapore, but also in other settlements around the Malacca Strait and Penang, in the early decades of the 20th century. Made of solid silver and sometimes combined with other materials, these belts were directly influenced by the marriage belts worn by indigenous brides in southern Aceh, at the northern tip of Sumatra, and also used by local Chinese in Aceh. As seen in the photos, the belt is split into two parts, which is easy to repair with the right tools; it is a unique piece over a century old; it will only be shipped to the European Union via DHL.