Bidspirit auction | Silver Belt Buckle – Dedicated

Silver Belt Buckle – Dedicated For Yom Kippur, With Exquisite Artistic Engravings - “For on this day he shall provide atonement for you” – a special belt buckle for use on Yom Kippur, engraved with this verse, with hammered lions and unique silverwork. Poland, ca. 19th century. Masterful artistic work. Two embossed lions, regardant , supporting an embossed, elliptical medallion with their front feet, on which the verse “כי ביום הזה יכפר עליכם לטהר אתכם מכל חטאתיכם לפני ה' תטהרו” (“For on this day he shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you; from all your sins before Hashem shall you be cleansed”). The buckle’s base is a silver rectangle, engraved with flowers, with two half-circle additions on the sides, on which the lions are soldered. On the two sides of the buckle are rounded loops, for connecting the belt. One handle is slightly bent. The buckle’s weight is relatively high for this type of item: 214gr.(6.88 troy oz.). its width is 8cm. and its maximum length is 14cm. without the handles. (For a similar item, see Toprowitz collection, Genazym auction of Nov. 19, 2024, item #29). The item is silver, and carries a hallmark on its reverse side, within the raised base plate. Beautiful and well-kept. Significance: Buckles such as these were used on Yom Kippur, for the belt that held closed the traditional Kittel, worn by most married men on Yom Kippur, as a symbol of purity and forgiveness. Those who could afford it, or who held high public position, had their buckle made of silver. This item contains an impressive amount of silver. It is large-sized, heavy, and artistically elaborate. It most probably belonged to a person of importance in the community, perhaps the Chazzan who led the prayers. (The translation of the verse was taken from the Artscroll Stone edition Bible, used with permission)