MCM Native American Navajo Silver Engraved Storyteller Concho Belt Willie Yazzie circa 1960

A wonderful vintage Native American engraved silver overlay "Storyteller" concho belt in the Hopi style, by the celebrated Navajo silversmith Willie Yazzie, circa 1960.
his beautiful concho belt is finely decorated with Native symbols including dancing shaman, Cacti, Roadrunners, and elk. Each circular link has Willie Yazzie's touchmark to the rear of a shaman's water gourd dipper.
Condition is excellent.

Hopi silversmiths typically texture the background layer with hash marks while Navajo artists often leave the background smooth. Hopi artists tend to use geometric designs and symbols similar to those used in their pottery and baskets. Navajo silversmiths tend to create scenes depicting everyday life using people, animals, buildings and landscapes to tell a story - this style is called "overlay storyteller jewelry"

One of the Navajo silversmiths who worked for Dean Kirk was Willie Yazzie, he made his own hallmark and used it on pieces he made for Kirkaccording to Social Security records, Willie A. Yazzie was born at Chinle, Arizona in 1928. His son says he learned silverwork at Dean Kirk’s trading post in Manuelito in the early 1950s, and created his touchmark (or hallmark) no later than 1960, and after that time his pieces made at Dean Kirk’s would have included his gourd dipper hallmark. His designs often incorporated animal figures such as roadrunners or Navajo designs including Yeis and Father Sky. He never added “tamp work,” or a textured pattern to the background designs.
In 1960 Ansel Hall, concessionaire at Mesa Verde National Park, was looking for a silversmith to demonstrate at the park during the summers months, Dean Kirk recommended Willie Yazzie and he was hired by Hall. Willie worked at Mesa Verde in the summers from 1960 to 1983, except for 1965 when he was sick. Yazzie created a special hallmark to denote pieces he made at Mesa Verde. The mark depicts Square Tower House, a ruin within the park, and was included with his gourd dipper mark during the summers of 1960-1964 and 1966-1983.

Diameter 37"

Imperial

3 inches high × ches wide × ches deep

Metric

high × wide x deep

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