Welcome to the forum, @John.
Would you care to share a bit about yourself and your interest in Native American jewelry, as well as how you came to acquire this buckle?
I’m a Cherokee from Oklahoma i found it dumpster diving .like to sale it
@John Hi & Welcome. That’s a nice buckle to have found in a dumpster. In the 2nd photo, at the top of the buckle, it looks like that could be a hallmark. I searched this online Native American hallmarks database, https://www.art-amerindien.com, but didn’t see that hallmark. You may want to take a look at it yourself - a second set of eyes is always good.
That’s a pretty incredible find for dumpster diving!
Similar to @Patina, I performed a small amount of research to help find out who may have crafted this buckle, utilizing what could be an artist’s mark at the top of the buckle on the reverse, with no luck. I don’t have any of Bille Hougart’s books, so I’m unable to look there.
I do have some thoughts concerning the buckle itself:
- The base casting that the leaf appliqués, silver balls, and setting are soldered onto is a very common pattern.
- The center, horizontal portion of the casting in the center opening of the buckle could well be a runner that was left from when the buckle was cast. This would allow molten silver to flow more quickly and evenly into the parts of the casting opposite the sprue (where the molten silver would have been poured). If that runner didn’t exist, the silver would have to flow around the opening, and this could well lead to problems and less than desirable results. Thinking along those lines, the silver would flow into the mold in the direction of the red arrow in this photo.
The horizontal orientation of this bar is what makes me believe that. Many times, buckles of similar pattern have a clear center opening or a center bar soldered in the opening vertically for the attachment of leather. This integral bar on your buckle serves no purpose other than either to aid manufacturing or as a support for a stone setting. I would be curious to see what one of our resident silversmiths and masters of technique, @mmrogers, thinks.
- The commercially made swivel bar that attaches the buckle to the belt is an indicator of age, as these became widely available and used from the 60’s on. The workmanship and style support the thought that this could have been crafted any time from the 70’s through the 90’s.
Personally, I think it would be a quick sell if realistically priced. I will also add that, in my humble opinion, it’s not unique enough to command a significantly higher price if an attribution can be made to a specific artist.
If you decide against selling it, it sure would look cool on your waist. ![]()
I wear it it looks good how much would you price it for?
I attempted to look for comparable examples in eBay’s sold listing to no avail, but did find a similar buckle that is an active listing.
This one very closely resembles the casting pattern of your buckle, although it has settings at the terminals of the arms. It also looks, to me, to have been cast in a different manner.
Personally, I’m not comfortable suggesting a price, as the range it could sell for is much too broad.
Not much to add to @Ravenscry’s comments. The center bar is unusual. They’re usually cast without one and this looks very intentional. I’m guessing someone ordered it this way to accommodate a central setting.


