Navajo chip inlay buckle

[dragonflywink]

Hoping someone can help me ID the maker of this buckle, believe it's 1960s-70s Navajo, the only mark is a C or G. Wear it at least a couple of times a week, figured it deserved a bit more research.

~Cheryl






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[2209patrick]

Hi Cheryl, good looking piece.

Checked Barton Wright's "Hallmarks of the Southwest" for your mark.
No single G marks listed. Best possibility is Navajo artist Jerry Cowboy who did use a C mark.



Navajo silversmith Carl Begay used the C mark, but with a symbol (usually a sun).

Navajo silversmith Cecil Nez also used the C mark, but he specializes in nugget work.

Pat.
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[dragonflywink]

Thanks Patrick! Quick check of the letter finds it to be a 1/16" stamp, would seem to be a fairly firm attribution. Glad you like it, definitely one of the more unusual chip inlay pieces I've seen, found it in a thrift shop, atached to a really nasty red vinyl belt, now used with a beautiful tooled and buckstitched belt of similar vintage.

~Cheryl
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