I just found an old navajo buckle I bought in the 70s. It has the following hallmark on it:
Does anybody recognize this artist?
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Hello and welcome @msharfman1.
Would you mind sharing photos of the front and back of your buckle? Many times, workmanship and design of a piece aids in these endeavors.
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@msharfman1 Hi & Welcome. That’s a good looking belt buckle. I can see a “JB” with the B on its side resting on top of the J 
. No idea what the other little mark is. I looked in my Hougart’s “Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks” book but had no luck. Have you tried Google Lens for help with this hallmark? You may also want to try an online hallmarks site like Art-Amerindien.com
Thanks for the welcome and your efforts. I spent a lot of time at Art-Amerindien.com. Coincidentally I just asked the library to get the Hougart book. I used the AI function in google image search and its verdict was that the mark was a stylized corn stalk. I looked for pictorial marks in the databases as well. Please note that Medicine Man Gallery also has a pretty good database.
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sure looks like this mark - do you know who it is? Thanks!
I couldn’t find this hallmark either, but the buckle and stone are gorgeous. Some Native artists’ hallmarks remain a mystery, or possibly it was made by an anglo artist.
Thanks. I know it was made by a Navajo artist as I commissioned it. It originally had a crazy lace agate that got smashed so I replaced with the turquoise.
So I’m confused… If you commissioned it how do you not know the artist?
It’s a great replacement stone!
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Because I had it made almost 50 years ago and the memory fades. Also I have no paperwork. Thanks!
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That makes sense 
Have you tried contacting any shops out in the Four Corners area like Perry Null or Garland’s? Do you have any idea where the artist lived? I’m just trying to think of shops that might know; I’ve spent quite a bit of time out there. I’m wondering if Medicine Man Gallery might be able to help you.
It’s frustrating to not know. I have a cuff that I just love that I have never been able to figure out the artist, although I’m like you, I know it’s native made because of who I bought it from.
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Thanks for the tips. I am pretty sure the artist lived near Window Rock as I was doing a project with the Navajo Nation and the Arizona State Health Department and my contact with the nation hooked me with the artist.
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that mark is the one on your buckle rotated all 4 directions. sometimes it helps looking from different perspectives.
the word conjoined shows up 390 times in the 5th edition. a few were close but no direct hits
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Hmmmm… I wonder if Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprise and Museum in Window Rock would recognize it. Here’s a link, but I don’t see a phone number. I have the number in a Trading Post Guidebook, but I don’t know if it’s correct anymore, because my book is old.
You also might try the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock.
Edit: I found both of the numbers.
928-871-4090 for the Navajo Arts and Crafts
928-871-7941 for the museum
All I had were old numbers in my Trading Post Guidebook, so I was able to correct them there also; I may want them someday
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Great idea - thanks!
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thanks for your help!
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You’re welcome. And I found the correct numbers so I edited my above post to add them. And you never know, sometimes we still get people down the road that know a hallmark and comment. Good luck, and let us know if you find out!
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thanks again for all your help.
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Aaaaah, the old fading memory. I know it well. Nice buckle and stone.
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