Navajo Pictorial Bird Concho Belt [SOLD]

This is an extraordinary concho belt of seven pictorial conchos and a buckle. The design of each is centered on a bird. The belt features four distinct bird species across the eight conchos (two matching conchos per bird species). Depicted mid-flight hovering near berries/flowers are a Blue Jay / Steller's Jay  with a blue crest, black neck collar, and blue wings/tail perched on a branch, a Northern Cardinal with a bright red body, crest, and black facial mask a Mallard / Waterfowl in flight among cattails with a turquoise head, reddish chest, and brown/white body.

Materials Details

The pictorial elements are raised above the Mother of Pearl. Beyond the mother-of-pearl base, jet (black wings/accents), coral (red berries and bird bodies), and turquoise (cabochons and blue plumage), the designs feature pen shell//brown shell for the dark branches and dark wing/feather details, as well as spiny oyster shell or red pipestone/argillite for the rich red hues. Each concho features stamped sterling silver borders accented with turquoise cabochons and coral beads set in sawtooth bezels.

Copper Copper Slides: The two copper bands (or copper slides) soldered to the back of each concho are a traditional attachment method. Copper is used because it is more pliable and durable than silver for tight structural stress points, allowing the belt strap to glide through securely without wearing out or snap-breaking over time.

The Artist

Tom Willeto is a Navajo (Diné) silversmith renowned for his craft in silver and inlay jewelry. Willeto is widely celebrated for preserving traditional, "Old Style" metalworking techniques. His work is characterized by heavy-gauge sterling silver construction, intricate hand-stamp patterns, deep oxidized finishes, and the use of labor-intensive sand-casting or tufa-casting molds. He is known for selecting high-grade stones and materials, frequently pairing rich turquoise, coral, shell, and mother-of-pearl in both classic cluster and complex mosaic inlay arrangements. He comes from a multi-generational lineage of influential Navajo artists and carvers (such as folk art carvers Leonard and Robin Willeto).

The buckle is stamped with the hallmark tom willeto. Due to their sturdy build, traditional craftsmanship, and cultural authenticity, silverwork pieces created by Tom Willeto are highly regarded and collected by Southwestern art enthusiasts.

Condition: excellent original condition. Does not appear to ever have been worn as a belt.

Provenance: this Navajo Pictorial Bird Concho Belt is from the estate of an Adobe Gallery client.

Recommended Reading: Masterworks and Eccentricities: The Druckman Collection; Navajo and Pueblo Jewelry and Metalwork 1880-1950 by Robert Bauver

TAGS: Southwest Indian Jewelry, Navajo Nation, Tom Willeto