Saturday 5 January 2013

Beautiful Buckles

 This morning when I was browsing through some favourite blogs, I read this post by Annie of knitsofacto  about her beautiful collection of old buttons and it brought to mind a little collection that I aquired a few years ago. Not buttons... but buckles.


I have a friend who dabbles in antiques and collectables and when she found this old box in a collection of trinkets she had been asked to sell on, she thought of me. 


Inside, the box is choc full of beautiful shell buckles. 


And although I absolutely love them... and maybe one day will use these loose ones from the top, what I really, really love are these little bundles of buckles tied up in parcels of tissue and tied with red thread.


Three or four buckles in each little bundle with an example of what is inside tied to the top of each one. How gorgeous are they! I don't think I will ever bring myself to open them.


I have no idea who they originally belonged to, or what they were destined for, nor how old they may be.


But I do know they are exquisite little things that I will always treasure... and that I'm very lucky to have such thoughtful friends.

27 comments:

  1. What a box of little treasures. Lucky you. I agree - not sure what I would do with them but I am sure I would struggle to part with them anyway! x Jo

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  2. Wow they're so beautiful, the little bundles are like secret little parcels, they'd be great as part of some sort of installation, you'd never find anything like this if you had it in your mind for something.

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  3. Oh they are yummy.I would just like to run my hands over them.

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  4. Beautiful!

    Somewhere I have just one very similar buckle that was in my Gran's button tin.

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  5. Oh wow, they are beautiful Gina, I can understand just wanting to leave them all wrapped up!
    Annie's buttons were amazing too.
    V xxx

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  6. Ooh, what beautiful treasures. I think you should make yourself some pretty belts, and maybe you could use them as closures for your handmade stitched books? G x

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  7. Wow Gina! What a treasure! I wouldn't be able to open the little packages either -- they're way too sweet!

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  8. Absolutely lovely little things....... and isn't this part of the beauty of blogging? (Being able to see that there are other people out there that appreciate similar things).

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  9. Treasures indeed Gina, and they are in such excellent condition - I love their lustrous sheen. They could possibly date from the 20's or earlier - I have a vague memory that my mother's aunts wore similar ones on summer dresses.

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  10. I know what you mean about not wanting to disturb those carefully wrapped little packages. Just beautiful!

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  11. How wonderful! Maybe(since they are so beautifully wrapped with an example on top) they are old stock from one of those lovely haberdashery shops which don't exist anymore. I'm thinking 'Lark Rise to Candleford'!

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  12. There is something so appealing about haberdashery treasures, and I think you're right - the packaging is often a large part of the delight.

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  13. Absolutely lovely. I wouldn't unwrap them either.

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  14. Truly beautiful - and I'd have to leave them wrapped up too :-)

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  15. What a delight! I love the little red tied parcels, and yes I'd leave them wrapped up too.

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  16. How utterly gorgeous! They're like little parcels of time, mysterious because unknown, and all the lovelier for that, lucky you!

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  17. Such beautiful treasure.I can understand your reluctance to use them. If they were mine I think I'd occasionally want to stroke them.

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  18. What fun! I like them as little parcels, just to look at!

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  19. You just need to look at them regularly and make sure they are all okay, but I couldn't unwrap them either.

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  20. What joy ... more treasure! They are wonderful Gina, particularly the little parcels.

    And to a different kind of good thing ... you have won the copy of Hand/Eye in my giveaway. Happy reading!

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  21. What treasure! They are absolutely beautiful.

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  22. What beautiful treasure! There is something so ethereal and precious about shell.

    I have a mother of pearl frame on my desk and it really brings the photograph in it to life.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  23. Oh my goodness, Gina. These are exquisite. I have a passion for mother of pearl, especially if it has a few decades behind it. Your photos have captured the beautiful lustre.

    Happy New Year to you - what a treat to pop over here and find this. I so hope to see you soon xxx

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  24. You are lucky Gina - what a box of treasures and I can certainly understand why you like those red threaded packages and why they'll stay intact - perfect!

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  25. They are amazing Gina, you lucky lady. I know what you mean about not having the heart to open those neat packages, I feel the same about my vintage beads.
    Happy weekend x

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  26. No. no, don't open! Beautiful.

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  27. what a lovley gifr. I make bags for myself and have been scouring the net looking for buckles as we don't have haberdashery shops now. Now I know why I can't find any, people are collecting them.

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