Rare Antique Straits Chinese Peranakan Solid Silver Large Belt Buckle, Malaysia & Singapore c.1890

This is a rare and large antique Straits Chinese Peranakan solid silver belt buckle, originating from Malaysia and Singapore around 1890. Straits silver represents a unique fusion of Chinese and Malay cultures. Such buckles were worn by the Straits Chinese—Chinese communities that settled along the Malacca Strait, including the Malay Peninsula and Singapore—in formal dress or during wedding ceremonies. The buckle is richly decorated with embossed foliage and animals. At the centre is Shoulao, the God of Longevity, easily identified by his bald head and long beard, accompanied by his companion, the deer. Surrounding them are the Eight Taoist Immortals. Taoism remains a widely practised religion among the ethnic Chinese population in Malaysia and Singapore. The outer borders are embellished with goldfish, crabs, foo dogs, peonies, and other mythical creatures. There are two silver marks on the reverse: the lower mark 足银, meaning “full/pure silver”, a stamp sometimes found on antique Chinese silver; and the upper mark, which is the artisan’s chop. The silver has been tested and shows a high silver purity of over 90%. It is in excellent condition and crafted from thick-gauge silver.