I found this belt and buckle today. I can’t figure out the mark or if it is native. Any help would be appreciated. Many thanks.
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possible the buckle was added to the Chacon belt
found nothing on the buckle signature using several variations of the spelling
maybe contact Chacon direct and inquire if the buckle artist was one of their in house smiths.
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About your buckle, with a Google search I found a smith (Anglo) named Phil Poirier in Taos, active since 1971. Interestingly, well-known Taos NA artist Maria Samora apprenticed with him:
http://www.gphilpoirier.com/category.php?Category=Bracelets
https://orchid.ganoksin.com/t/introducing-g-phil-poirier/2200
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From a technical aspect the buckle is lost wax cast from (an at least partially) hand carved master. The number on it looks like it’s a numbered edition, meaning each buckle cast was likely numbered in series. It doesn’t look like it was a limited edition or there would be something like 292/300, rather than just 292.
Bruce Erickson, owner of Chacon has done business with a number of artists from Santa Fe, Taos, and Albuquerque. Most of us know him, and have bought straps or displays from him over the years. Bruce, not surprisingly, is also a buckle designer who produces his own line of branded buckles.
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That is amazing. You are such a sleuth!
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