Belt buckle, artisanal, with bucking-bronco/rodeo rider appliqué

Object/Artifact

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

Belt buckle, artisanal, with bucking-bronco/rodeo rider appliqué

Entry/Object ID

2025.11.16

Description

Rectangular belt buckle with slightly bowed (curved) face, made from a polished white-metal plate. Applied to the front is a cast figural relief of a rodeo cowboy aboard a bucking bronco — the hatted rider with one arm raised, the horse pitching forward with head down and legs kicking. The reverse has a hand-soldered belt-loop bar at one end and a bent-wire hook at the other; the appliqué is fixed through the plate with two rivets/solder points.

Context

Made by artisans with repurposed belt buckles, in the 1980s. Sold in stores.

Acquisition

Accession

2025.11

Acquisition Method

Purchase

Materials

Material

Steel

Material Notes

Materials: White-metal plate (chrome-plated steel or polished nickel/stainless — unconfirmed); cast white-metal appliqué (pewter/lead-tin alloy or aluminum — unconfirmed); solder; rivets. Technique: Artisanal/handmade — sheet-metal plate dapped to a curve; separately cast figural appliqué riveted/soldered on; belt loop and hook hand-soldered to the reverse.

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Research Notes

Notes

Motif: A bucking-bronco/rodeo rider — a generic Western/charro-rodeo image popular on cast belt buckles across the Americas. Construction: Hand-soldered hardware and riveted appliqué indicate small-scale artisanal manufacture rather than factory production.

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

July 25, 2025

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 11, 2026