sterling silver buckle pyroclastic culatta leather belt

the pyroclastic belt has been hand cut from a sturdy washed and tumbled 3.5mm vegetable tanned horse culatta leather with a rotten corpse matte black dyed finish. culatta is a special cut combined of the rear just above the cordovan, the belly middles and the hind shanks, offering a dense structure, tight grain and medium to firm temper. vegetable tanning is a traditional method of treating the hide using natural extracts such as tree bark, for a truly artisanal finish. the leather belt features a pyroclastic treatment, adding layers of volcanic ash, crushed burnt bronze, iron shavings and oxidised silver shards slowly built up over 28 days, creating a visual landscape that depicts fragments of rock erupted from a volcano. over time, the rock like texture will crumble and crack revealing the cordovan culatta encased beneath. blood dyed hand waxed japanese linen thread holds the hand stitched asymmetrical disconnected panels in place, and will gradually appear as the pyroclastic layers crumble, giving the illusion of molten lava protruding through the surface. the belt is finished off with a hand forged, hammered and shaped .925 sterling silver buckle that has been slow oxidised over a 10 hour period, and lightly sanded to reveal the texture. each piece comes in a handmade leather pouch. custom leathers are available upon request.