Antique Mogens Ballin Silver Arts & Crafts Belt Buckle

A rare early Danish silver belt buckle by Mogens Ballin, executed in 826 silver and dating to the brief period of Ballin’s influential Copenhagen workshop, established in 1900 and sold in 1908.

The buckle is a particularly strong example of Ballin’s distinctive interpretation of the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. Its bold openwork construction is framed by sculptural, scrolling organic motifs at each corner, giving the piece a wonderfully architectural quality while retaining the handcrafted character associated with Ballin’s work.

Mogens Ballin was an important figure in the development of Danish design at the beginning of the 20th century. His workshop produced silver objects and jewelry distinguished by their simplicity, craftsmanship, and stylized natural forms, and his work had an important influence on the emerging Danish silver tradition of the period.

Dimensions: 3 1/8″ x 1 1/2″ (8 x 3.9 cm).

Hallmarks: BALLIN, Copenhagen hallmark and S.826.