Ma Atsidii, Navajo Native American Gold Over Sterling Silver South West Blue Turquoise Belt Buckle, Weighing 93 Grams. Silversmith Craftsmanship Mastery Shown Throughout This Amazing Piece. Silver Tested. Estimated more than 50 yrs old. The Navajos are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. After the Cherokee, they are the second largest federally recognized tribe in the United States. Until contact with Pueblos and the Spanish, the Navajos were largely hunters and gatherers. The tribe adopted crop farming techniques from the Pueblo peoples. The practice of spinning and weaving wool into blankets and clothing became common and eventually developed into a form of highly valued artistic expression. Silversmithing is an important art form among Navajos. Atsidi Sani c. 1830–c. 1918 is considered to be the first Navajo silversmith. He learned Silversmithing from a Mexican man called Nakai Tsosi "Thin Mexican" around 1878 and began teaching other Navajos how to work with silver. By 1880, Navajo silversmiths were creating handmade jewelry including bracelets, tobacco flasks, necklaces and bracers. Later, they added silver earrings, buckles, bolos, hair ornaments, pins and squash blossom necklaces for tribal use, and to sell to tourists as a way to supplement their income. The Navajos' hallmark jewelry piece called the "squash blossom" necklace first appeared in the 1880s. Turquoise has been part of jewelry for centuries, but Navajo artists did not use inlay techniques to insert turquoise into silver designs until the late 19th Century. (Wikipedia) For Size And Weight See The Last Photo If Not Written In This Description. All Photos Represent The Lot Condition. Please Read Our Terms And Conditions.

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