Sterling Silver Cast Belt Buckle with Five Stones [SOLD]

There is speculation about exactly when Navajos learned to work with silver, but most agree that the first smith was a man named Atsidi Sani (Old Smith). He went on to teach the craft to his relatives. By the beginning of the 20th Century, most parts of the reservation had working silversmiths.

One of the first methods used by Navajo silversmiths was the casting method. A design was carved into tufa stone and molten silver poured into the mold. After it cooled the artist would remove the piece and finish it off by adding stones or other embellishments.

The artist who crafted this buckle was an expert at this method. Crisp lines radiate out from the center where a sky blue cab of turquoise is set. Four curving lines delineate each corner with smaller pieces of turquoise at the tips. In between each set of curving lines are three straight lines. The piece is elegantly symmetrical.  The buckle is older, probably from the 1950s, but after a small repair to one of the corner pieces that supports a small turquoise stone, it was polished, which makes it look like it was just made.

Condition: The Sterling Silver Cast Belt Buckle with Five Stones is in good condition. There is a small repair on one of the tips, it is not visible from the front.

Provenance:  The buckle is from the collection of the daughter of the Balcomb family who owned art galleries in New Mexico and Arizona.

Recommended Reading: Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths by John Adair