This is a gold belt buckle. It is decorated with a technique known as piercing where the metal sheet is pierced to create the open-work design. It depicts a spotted deer at the centre of the panel, surrounding by foliage. The details on the body of the deer and on the surrounding leaves and flowers are engraved on the buckle. A spotted deer in Chinese iconography is auspicious and symbolizes immortality. The Chinese word for deer is 鹿 (lu) and it is also a homonym for good fortune and wealth. This belt buckle was made in Singapore as evidenced by the mark 实叻 (shi le, the old Chinese name of Singapore based on the Malay word for Straits). Other marks include 興興 which translates as ¬double happiness, H.H. and 22K which indicates that this belt buckle is twenty-two carat gold. Belt buckles such as these would have been worn by Peranakan Chinese women along with a gold or silver belt to fasten their batik sarong which was traditionally worn with a kebaya
