When purchasing an antique belt, one of the things you must consider is:
Is this actually an antique?
When I purchased this belt, I knew it was an authentic 1920's belt. How do you think I knew it was real? Guess the answer from the list below:
If you guessed #4, you are correct! I purchased this from a long-time vintage clothing dealer who I've purchased from for years. I knew that this was part of the Egyptian Revival fashion during the 1920's, due to the Egyptian detail of the artwork. I took a look a careful look at the back of the belt to look at the nails, and confirmed the metal was antique.
The style is unusual, but was probably made at the height of the Egyptian Revival period or as an item in honor of the Tomb.
I actually put this on ebay for sale, but decided to keep it and cancel the auction because I enjoyed looking at it so much.
Now one item I haven't mentioned so far is the leather. Is it possible to tell the age of a leather belt as a consumer? Unfortunately, for a belt that is unembellished, the answer is usually no. But you can look for some tell-tale clues about age:
Is the belt new or used?
Is the belt thick or thin?
Are the belt edges worn? (Mine is! Look at the pictures.)
What type of leather was used?
Is it a type of leather that is rare or unusual in today's marketplace?
How was the back of the leather finished? Does the leather show hand-tool marks or is it professionally finished?
Does the leather smell new? Old leather doesn't typically smell.
These are some of the tips and tricks you can use to determine the age of the belt in this post. What other signs of the art deco era do you see in the photographs that I haven't mentioned yet?
What belts do you enjoy in your closet and why?
Is this actually an antique?
When I purchased this belt, I knew it was an authentic 1920's belt. How do you think I knew it was real? Guess the answer from the list below:
- I purchased it from a reputable vintage clothing dealer
- I knew that the Egyptian Revival fashion period was during the 1920's, since King Tut's Tomb was opened by Howard Carter in 1923.
- I recognized the metal parts as being of the correct era.
- All of the above
If you guessed #4, you are correct! I purchased this from a long-time vintage clothing dealer who I've purchased from for years. I knew that this was part of the Egyptian Revival fashion during the 1920's, due to the Egyptian detail of the artwork. I took a look a careful look at the back of the belt to look at the nails, and confirmed the metal was antique.
The style is unusual, but was probably made at the height of the Egyptian Revival period or as an item in honor of the Tomb.
I actually put this on ebay for sale, but decided to keep it and cancel the auction because I enjoyed looking at it so much.
Now one item I haven't mentioned so far is the leather. Is it possible to tell the age of a leather belt as a consumer? Unfortunately, for a belt that is unembellished, the answer is usually no. But you can look for some tell-tale clues about age:
Is the belt new or used?
Is the belt thick or thin?
Are the belt edges worn? (Mine is! Look at the pictures.)
What type of leather was used?
Is it a type of leather that is rare or unusual in today's marketplace?
How was the back of the leather finished? Does the leather show hand-tool marks or is it professionally finished?
Does the leather smell new? Old leather doesn't typically smell.
These are some of the tips and tricks you can use to determine the age of the belt in this post. What other signs of the art deco era do you see in the photographs that I haven't mentioned yet?
What belts do you enjoy in your closet and why?
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