Tufa Cast Sterling Silver Belt Buckle

The Enigma of the Sterling Silver Buckle: A John Yazzie Mystery

This exquisite sterling silver cast buckle carries an air of mystery. It is stamped with the initials ‘J Y', which have been identified as belonging to the renowned artisan, John Yazzie. However, this identification is based on a notation made by a previous salesperson, who marked ‘John Yazzie' on the back of the buckle using a felt-tip pen.

Intriguingly, the word ‘PAWN' is also marked on the buckle in pen. Despite these markings, it's important to note that we cannot authenticate either notation. The true origin and history of this sterling silver buckle, therefore, remain shrouded in mystery, adding to its allure and intrigue.

According to Gregg Schaaf's book, those initials could belong to Jimmy Yazzie, also a Diné of the Navajo Nation. He was an active silversmith from the 1950s to the 1980s, working for Atkinson Trading Company. He is noted for working in the cast process. [Schaaf 2013:386]

Tufa casting, often erroneously referred to as sand casting, is one of the earliest techniques used by the Navajo smiths. Today, it is still accomplished in the same manner as it was 150 years ago. This buckle was cast in silver, and then painstakingly polished and refined to a smooth finish.

Before a cast buckle such as this one can be made by an artisan, he or she must first fashion a mold from a whitish sandstone rock, hard enough to withstand the hot metal without splitting and yet soft enough to be grooved into the wanted design. Today, these can be purchased at local jewelry supply stores, but in earlier days, the artisan searched the Navajo Reservation for suitable rock and carved the desired design himself. When one of these molds broke, perhaps from not having been warm enough to receive the molten silver, it was a minor tragedy. Today, it is a slight inconvenience. Now, a new one can be purchased on the next trip into town.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Tufa Cast Sterling Silver Belt Buckle is from the collection of a client of Adobe Gallery

Reference: Schaaf, Gregory. American Indian Jewelry III: M-Z; 2,100 Artist Biographies