Pair of cuff links

1858-1870

Measurements

5/8 in x 7/16 in x 1/8 in

Materials

Silver

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of Barbara Nowland Allison

Accession Number

2020.118

Inscription

“W.B.C.” is engraved in script onto each cuff link.

Condition Notes

The cuff links are tarnished.

Provenance

The cufflinks descended from William Brinton Corbit (1840-1882) to the donor, a direct descendant.  

Comments

Each cuff link is made of a pair of cast oval button-like disks with an eye mounted to back.  A chain link joins the eyes.  A cast floral edge rings the ovals.  Each cufflink has engraved initials of William Brinton Corbit, son of Daniel and Eliza Naudain Corbit and grandson of William (the house builder) and Mary Cowgill Corbit.  The strong provenance of the pair of cuff links makes the first owner's identity reasonably certain.  On that basis, this pair of cuff links were likely made for W B Corbit sometime after his 18th birthday in 1858.  He married Virginia Dove in 1875 or 1876 and died at age 42 in 1882.

This pair of cuff links is similar to a single cuff link made much earlier for William Corbit.  See accession no. 2024.64.