Navajo Sterling Silver Diné Button with a Turquoise Cab [SOLD]

The Diné made silver buttons to attach to their trousers and dresses, sometimes functional and sometimes decorative.  This button in a snowflake design has a single turquoise cab mounted at its center and a copper loop on the back to facilitate sewing onto fabric.  The button is from the mid twentieth century

The Diné developed a serious love of adornment with silver from his Mexican neighbors who, in turn, had adopted such a fascination from the Spanish. There is mention as early as 1824 of Navajo wearing ornamental buttons. Like the Mexicans, Navajo men put them on their trousers, jackets, and moccasins and, then later, put them on belts, pistol belts, gun holsters, saddles, bridles, leather pouches, straps of the pouches, and bow guards.

Condition: this Navajo Sterling Silver Diné Button with a Turquoise Cab is in original condition

Provenance: from the estate of Frances Balcomb passed through to a family member

Recommended Reading: Wearing the Moon—Navajo and Pueblo Silver Buttons by Gary Brockman

Relative Links: Southwest Indian Jewelry, Navajo Nation, Buttons and Conchas

Note: when we say Diné, as opposed to Navaho or Navajo, we are referring to the people and not the government.  Since 1969, their government refers to itself as the Navajo Nation.