Shoe Buckle
Unknown Artist
1775–1800
Medium
Silver plate on copper
Dimensions
3 7/8 x 3 in. (9.8 x 7.6 cm)
Classification
Shoe buckle
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Alphonso T. Clearwater, 1933
Accession Number
33.120.178
Art Historical Context
This elegant shoe buckle, between 1775 and 1800, exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of late 18th-century America. Measuring just 3 7/8 x 3 inches, its petite scale belies its role as a stylish accessory for men's footwear, when buckles were a mark of fashion and social standing. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Wing, it reflects the-Revolutionary era's blend of European influences and emerging American ingenuity, arriving via the 1933 bequest of Alphonso T.water. Made from silver plate over copper, the buckle showcases a practical yet luxurious technique: copper provided a sturdy...