Canadian Modernist Brutalist Pewter Belt Unsigned Guy Vidal or Robert Larin

Description

This is a wonderful brutalist belt that is unsigned but surely by either of two Montreal modernist jewellers - Guy (Gilles) Vidal or Robert Larin.  It is made of pewter with electroplated silver and made up of alternating links, one a smaller rectangular shape and the other a more open belt buckle shape - there is one other shape at either end that hook together for closure.  I’ve had a belt in the past that was signed on the closure hook with a stylized GV, which was the mark used by Vidal during the 1960s.  This one is unsigned, but I would tend to attribute it to Vidal rather than Larin as Larin tended not to make larger pieces.  It is almost certainly by one of them as no one else, to my knowledge, cast pewter using the “lost wax” method, as this was usually reserved for more precious metals.  Their work can look similar, but it is distinctive from anyone else’s.  The piece measures 33” around and the wider links have a height of 1 3/8” - I believe that this belt should be worn on top of the hips rather than around the waist.  For some reason, there is an extra link, which I will supply with the belt.  The belt is in very good condition with no noted wear.
Larger sized brutalist pewter pieces like this are quite rare - making this required an enormous effort by the artist.  This is a wonderful addition to a collection!
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