Antique Unger Brothers Art Nouveau Sterling Silver Buckle - 1.005 ozt. Incredibly detailed image of angelic faces in swirls spread out like a pair of wings. Marked in several places on the back. 

Size: 3 1/4 x 2 1/2 in. 

Weight: 1.005 ozt. 

Unger Brothers was established by five sons from a German immigrant family in Newark, New Jersey in 1872, after the eldest had struggled with his solo venture for the past two years and brought two of his siblings in to assist him. They began manufacturing sterling silver items in 1878 as other sons gradually joined the firm, among them a silversmith and an engraver whose brother-in-law became the leading artistic designer. The firm’s best years were from 1895 to 1907, and by 1901 it had just under 300 employees. They became famous for their Art Nouveau designs, at one point offering over 150 hatpin designs alone, with their 1904 catalog included some 3,200 distinct items. While most of their items were jewelry, the best-selling pieces were dresser sets and tableware such as trays and sauceboats. Due to various disagreements over the direction of the company, it rapidly disbanded in 1910, with each brother pursuing a different field. Unger Bros. work is collected in the Brooklyn Museum, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Newark Museum, and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum.

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