Belt buckle or Pafti

Pafta is a Persian-Turkish word and means belt buckle. Despite originating from the East, pafti was a traditional Bulgarian adornment worn by Bulgarian women between the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th century. Pafti have three components – two identical and symmetrical plates and a smaller middle plate called a shield, which hides the hook (locking mechanism). Most often the depicted elements are floral, but sometimes there are other symbols such as churches or birds, which represent purity and good news. Regardless of the decoration, the main function of pafti and other adornments until the early 20th century was to protect women from evil spirits.