| "Because my first buckle was made by William B. Kerr & Co., and I loved the nouveau swirls and three-dimensional relief aspects of the design, and because Kerr was one of the more prolific silver buckle producers in the years just before and just after 1900, many of my early acquisitions were by this maker, whose mark is an axe lying on its side. This two piece Kerr buckle features a gold wash, or gold plating, over sterling silver to give the buckle a golden color. Purple faceted stones, probably amethysts, are mounted at the edges to give the piece an extra sparkle. Like most of Kerr's buckles, this piece is made out of a stamped piece of silver that has been soldered to a flat sterling back. The workmanship of the time, even of mass-produced pieces such as this, was amazingly high. The back is soldered to the front all around the outer edges, and it is rare to ever see a solder line where the back and front are joined. This piece is about 2.25" wide and about 1 3/8" high." |
