Silver belt clasp

Woman's silver belt clasp ('pafta'), in two parts in the form of curved leaves or botehs, one attached to a central small gilded circular boss. Decorated in repoussé work with tulips, and fastened with a hook and eye, behind the central boss. Maker's mark BJ on front. Double bars for attachment to fabric belt at the back of each half. The hook and eye, and the central boss are cast. The central boss is mercury gilded.

Text from Eth Doc 1892, no. 93: Made by town silversmiths of copper plated with silver, in Skopje (Üsküb) although earlier they were imported from Constantinople or from Kotor on the Adriatic coast. Two pear shaped panels with symbolic ram's horns 'rogi' have a central small circular boss, which is attached to one of the panels. The decoration is of flowers, the main one being tulips, and worked by beating and chastening. The fastening is by hook and eye. For special occasions it would have been mounted on a decorated belt. The pafta has an Islamic feel about it.
religion: Macedonian Orthodox.
Information supplementary to Eth Doc:
The appearance of a silversmith's mark is rare in Balkan jewellery and indicates that this clasp contains a significantly higher proportion of silver than the alloys commonly used. It may have been made in Bosnia under Austria-Hungary (1878-1919), perhaps by a silversmith used to working in higher quality alloys (information kindly supplied by Jane Perry).