Navajo Fish Scale Inlay Belt Buckle [SOLD]

The Diné of the Navajo Nation were the first Native Americans in the Southwest to master the techniques of silversmithing. They were taught that skill by Mexican silversmiths in the mid-19th Century and quickly became masters of the craft. Navajo philosophy stresses the importance of living and walking in beauty and in harmony with nature. The blue skies of the Navajo Reservation are reflected in the jewelry they make and in the way they integrate the turquoise stone into their work so that beauty is with them all the time.

Although the channel inlay style of jewelry is usually associated with Zuni artists, frequently talented Navajo jewelers have used the style. This buckle is a style referred to as “fish scale” channel inlay because the delicately cut and shaped pieces of stone resemble the shape of fish scales. This is a difficult method to use because each stone needs to be cut exactly to fit in the pre-shaped sterling silver channels.

The artist was Lillian Fernando, a Navajo jeweler who frequently used fish scale inlay to make buckles, bolos and watch tips. This piece is very well constructed. The turquoise varies in color from a deep sky blue to a light greenish-blue that is the color of a tropical sea. The pieces are set with precision in an abstract design.

The loop on the back is for a one-inch belt. It is signed on the back by the artist’s hallmark.

Condition: The buckle is in excellent condition

Provenance: From a collector in Texas

Recommended Reading: The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry by Theda Bassman