Antique 3 Classic Carved Shell Cameos in Repousse Pinchbeck Mount Buckle Clasp

I have added 17 pictures to the bottom of this listing to try and show this item in as much detail as possible so please take the time to view them all. This is an antique buckle or some sort of clip that is made from 3 hand carved shell cameos mounted in gilt metal which could quite easy be pinchbeck or similar. Each of the cameos depicts a man with a beard, looks like Roman or Greek Gods. The shell has the really nice orangey colour on the top and bottom one on the high areas of the hair and beard.

The central cameo is just white. Fine carved detail with good relief. They are all facing left.

No signatures from what I can see. Probably bought by some aristocratic English family whilst on their Grand Tour in the Victorian era from Italy. The gilt or pinchbeck mount has a pressed repousse design which is openwork and has a scallop like shell at both the top and bottom with large leaves between, flower heads and swirl like leaves and dots around the main edge of the frame. The three cameo's are in inset oval surrounds which are plain metal seen from the edge. The back has a hinged flat buckle like fitting which is a coppery colour.

At the top it has a little lever stuck out slightly which you lightly depress down and it hinges down. It is a little loose here and may want a slight adjustment of the part bending up.... It stays in place sometimes but drops other times.

I like to LEAVE antiques alone.. I do not clean or mend anything, they are just as I get them in.

So when it hinges down you can see the central round shaft which revolves in the plate so you can thread the material thru it.. It has 4 short spikes as you find on this type of item to keep the material in place. Also it has 4 smaller spikes stuck out on one of the sides of the back plate once again to hold the material in place. The 3 cameo's can be seen easy from the back and are held in place with small steel pins.. The bottom cameo pins have come out so it wobbles about in the inset. Each of them do have scratched on signatures or wording of some kind.. It is not fine wording! In collectable condition with normal signs of age and use wear. The bottom cameo is slightly loose in the mount. The top of the gilt mount is bent slightly forward. Please see pictures provided for more details.

3 and 1/2 inches long and approx. 1 inch wide x 1/4 inch deep. The buckle fitting on the back is 3 inch long x 11/16ths inch wide.

It weighs approx 30.3 grams. Scale is usually an English 1 penny coin which is 20mm in diameter which is just short of 7/8ths of an inch in diameter. In the title or description it means. Condition which may have scuffs, scratches and damage.

The item "Antique 3 Classic Carved Shell Cameos in Repousse Pinchbeck Mount Buckle Clasp" is in sale since Thursday, January 7, 2021. This item is in the category "Jewellery & Watches\Vintage & Antique Jewellery\Vintage Costume Jewellery\Victorian (1837-1901)". The seller is "diggerlee" and is located in Yorkshire. This item can be shipped worldwide.

Style/ Period: Victorian
Country/Region of Manufacture: Unknown
Main Material/ Metal: PINCHBECK
Theme: Classic Roman Greek Busts
Type: BUCKLE / clasp
Beads/ Stones: 3 carved cameo shell
Main Colour: gold cream
Brand: Unbranded