A SILK AND METAL THREAD BELT WITH NIELLOED SILVER BUCKLE AND FITTINGS
Caucasus and St. Petersburg, Russia, last quarter 19th century

Of typical shape, the ochre silk band woven with metal thread, backed with light brown calf leather, enhanced with a nielloed silver buckle and fittings, the buckle decorated with an articulate vegetal motif in the front and a cartouche framing a bird amidst vegetal sprays and a Cyrillic monogram at the back, stamped with the silver mark "ф I" and the date 1888, the fittings with similar vegetal and floral decorative motifs, each one stamped with the silver mark "Aш" and 84 (916 purity), from the silversmith Aleksandr Shevyakov, active in St. Petersburg,1895 - 1898, 37cm long waistline.