Concho belt

Description

leather, silver, strap (l: 109 cm, w: 3 cm), set with nine “conchas” (m: 6,5 cm x 5,5 cm), a slightly larger for closure, in the center each set with a small turquoise

The origin of the “concho” (or “concha”) belt is unclear. However, there is evidence that the Navajo people borrowed ideas from Plains Native Americans and Mexican traders’ bridle ornamentation to create the first concho belts. Mexican and American silver dollars were hammered flat and ornamented by Navajo craftsmen when other sources of silver were scarce.

“Conchas” (named after the Spanish word for shell) are round or oval disks of silver.

In the 1890s when Navajo silversmiths began to use soldering techniques, copper loops were soldered to the back of solid conchas for threading the leather belt. In the early 1900s artists learned how to set turquoise into their pieces.