The 29 petal bells on this strap are #2 size (1 1/4" diameter) and were made in the late 1800s to early 1900s. I was asked to clean, polish and lacquer the bells and create a new strap similar to the original using dark brown leather. This is a classic sleigh bell strap without a lot of fancy details and very typical of straps made in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is essentially a "trouser belt with bells" as I often describe it.
These petal bells had been fastened onto their original strap with steel rivets. Rivet-base bells like these were traditionally installed so the throat (the slit across the bell) goes across the strap as shown here. More about shank and rivet bells...
The original strap had been broken and repaired long ago. I am fairly sure one bell is missing due to this damage -- the original set probably totaled 30 bells. In this case, I adjusted the strap so it is a few inches shorter than the original to compensate for the missing bell.
I was able to clean and adjust the original buckle and install it on the new strap, so that bit of history is preserved along with the bells.
The photos (click on "See more images") show the new strap next to fragments of the original strap, so you can compare the new with the old.
This particular item is a custom, one-of-a-kind project made for a past client. Items in this Custom Projects section are for information only; they are not available for regular sale.
