2 1/2" x 4 1/2" with four and one-half ounces of solid gold in rose, yellow and white colors.
James H. Nottage, Fishers, Indiana - 4 December 2004
Over a period of nearly a quarter century now, I have examined hundreds of belt buckles produced in the Hollywood shop of Edward H. Bohlin. Some of them are simply stamped silver buckles with floral engraving, some are gold overlaid, a few are presentations to rodeo stars, scattered examples belonged to famous actors or politicians and in recent years a discouraging number have appeared that are fraudulently marked or out-right fakes.
In August of 2004, I examined what easily can be described as one of the top four or five Bohlin belt buckles ever manufactured. It is a work of art from the Bohlin shop on Highland Avenue in Hollywood and clearly belonged to Edward Bohlin himself. With the buckle comes a signed document stating that "this Is to certify that this large solid gold western belt buckle with multiple figural animals and with the initials 'EB' was given to me by Edward Bohlin right off his waist about 45-50 years ago. He was visiting my ranch on a fishing or a hunting trip. My ranch was located near Yerington, Nevada, and co-owned by Barron Hilton'.' The document is signed by Donald W. Douglas Jr. and dated June 17, 2004.
Over a period of decades, Ed Bohlin frequently crafted special buckles for himself that had the best of workmanship and materials and there are many documented examples of such buckles that he gave to important customers or potential customers. Through these he promoted his products and relationships that would further his business. The Ed Bohlin/Donald Douglas buckle is no exception.
Donald Douglas died in October 2004, only a few months after selling his coveted buckle. Douglas was the son of the founder of Douglas Aircraft. He served as president of the company and was directly responsible for introducing the DC-8 and DC-9 Jetliners. Douglas was named president of the company in 1957.
The buckle is, on its own merits, quite remarkable and very much in character with its maker's personal interests. Ed Bohlin began his career in Cody, Wyoming, and spent many vacations hunting and fishing in that area and frequently pursuing game at other locations such as the Hilton/Douglas ranch. The buckle is marked on the back with the small oval stamp that reads "Bohlinmade, Hollywood, Calif' It is also stamped to reflect the quality of the metal used to make the buckle-22-K, 18-K and 12-K gold!
The perfectly executed filigree work on the buckle immediately sets off the decorative elements. Wrapped around the outer edge is a twisted gold wire rope. Red gold vines and scrolls are exquisitely hand chased to give them depth and dimension. In the center are the silver initials "E" and "B". Below each initial is a yellow gold five petal flower. Laid over the scrolls are the following figures: top left, Pronghorn antelope top center, Rainbow trout; top right, bull moose; center, bull elk; bottom left, Bighorn sheep bottom center, California, grizzly bear; and bottom right, trophy deer. Each of these figures 1 remarkably well-executed. The rainbow trout has beautifully blended bands of red and yellow gold. The antlers of the animals are in yellow gold and their bodies are carefully chased wit! variations of color in red and yellow gold.
The entire effect of this buckle is that of a fine sculpture depicting wildlife of the Rock Mountains and California. It is entirely hand cut and chased and it is a monument to the best products coming from the fertile imagination of Edward H. Bohlin. I have long been of the opinion that the best Bohlin products are those that are hand chased and made in the time period from the 1930s through the late 1950s. This is truly a masterwork by the master himself.
Sincerely,
James H. Nottage
(James Nottage is the Author of Saddlemaker to the Stars, Edward H. Bohlin, Published by The Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Los Angeles, 1996)
Lot 557, Sold $47,200
Brian Lebel's Mesa Old West Auction - January 21st & 22nd, 2022 - Mesa, AZ.