Navajo Sterling Silver Concha Belt [SOLD]

Special Value Offer: we have been requested to offer this at a 40% price reduction from the original price of $2500 to a new price of $1500.

The Navajo gave to the Plains Indians a status symbol in the form of a blanket, now known as a chief blanket, the name derived from the fact that only important Plains Indians were wealthy enough to trade the Navajo horses or other goods for such.  The Plains Indians in turn, unknowingly, gave the Navajo what is known as a concha/concho belt.  This belt derived from Plains Indian hair ornaments of silver discs on leather straps worn down the man’s back and attached to his hair.  Having seen this, the innovative Navajo smiths fashioned concha belts.

In the early twentieth century, banks were non-existent on the Navajo Reservation. As a result, the Navajo tended to invest their wealth into jewelry and if they needed money, they could pawn the jewelry at the local trading post. One popular form of jewelry that is distinctly Navajo is the concha belt. Conchas (named after the Spanish word for shell) are round or oval disks of silver. This provided a safe way to amass a large amount of silver.

The earliest form of the concha disc was round or oval with a cutout in the center through which the leather could be threaded.  This has acquired the name “first phase concha.”  Later versions eliminated the hole and the leather was strung through a loop on the back of the concha.  This belt is a “first phase” style but is not old enough (pre-1900) to qualify for the title.  This one does appear to have been made from coin silver so it could date to as early as the 1930s.  The silver weight is quite heavy.

One of the conchas was, at one time, converted to be worn as a pin but has now been put back on the belt with the others.  There are 7 large silver conchas, each stamped around the diamond center and around the edges.  The buckle is beautifully stamped and has repoussé edges. This is the ultimate style of concha belt.  The leather strap is long enough that the belt could fit a waist size 30 up to 36.

Condition: very good condition

Recommended Reading:  Jewelry by Southwest American Indians: Evolving Designs by Nancy N. Schiffer

Provenance: from a gentleman in Colorado