描述
Aaron/Norbert Peshlakai (Navajo) Modernist silver Tufa Cast/stamped concho belt. Absolute masterpiece created my a modern day master and his son approximately 25 years ago. Belt is unworn with no holes, No idenifying marks that I could find, likely a custom piece made for a good customer/friend. I have had other Peshlakai pieces that were not signed that came from important collections and were of the same unimaginable quality that just can‘t be duplicated by anyone. I‘m 100% sure the note on the back of this buckle is a correct attribution of this item. Smaller sized belt with weight and measurements in pictures. The actual belt is 28" to the last silver bar with another 24" of leather beyond that. So it will fit up to a 48" waist or so with a little leather left at the end, or can be cut shorter of course. The way it is strung now it would fit about a 30" waist perfectly without moving any of the conchos. 1 Buckle, 9 Bars, 8 Conchos. Conchos are hand stamped, Buckle Tufa Cast.
Norbert Peshlakai (Navajo), the first of ten children born to Ben and Lydia Peshlakai of Crystal,
New Mexico, entered this world on May 6, 1953. In Lydia, a well known weaver in the Crystal
style, and Ben, a miner, carpenter, and laborer, Norbert saw a strong work ethic, which guides
him to this day. As a child he attended boarding schools in Crystal, and later Tohatchi, New
Mexico. Weekend trips home were usually when he was able to visit family and practice
his then-favorite medium, painting; one of his first paid jobs was to paint windows with a
Christmas scene. He went on to attend Jefferson Junior High and Highland High School, both
in Albuquerque. At that time Norbert knew he wanted to pursue his love of cross-country
running, in which he excelled. Upon graduating in 1972, he decided to attend Haskell Indian
Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.
At Haskell, Norbert ran cross-country until he was sidelined by a knee injury, which forced him
to quit the team. He decided to take art classes to fulfill his credit requirements. After meeting
with his advisor, he decided to turn to his love of painting, though he inadvertently ended up
in a trade class on house painting! His advisor suggested he take a jewelry class. Uninterested
in jewelry, Norbert nonetheless took her suggestion; this was his first attempt to try his hand at
silversmithing. He did not initially enjoy the class, and when his teacher Clint Leon could see
that Norbert was failing, he pulled him aside and gave him specific assignments to bring his
grades up. He learned soldering, overlay, inlay, enameling, lost wax, and hammering. He came
to enjoy the medium, and soon created pieces on the side to sell for extra money. He took four
more jewelry classes, and during a summer at home, he and his brother taught themselves tufa
casting.
An arm injury in 1974 caused Norbert not to return to Haskell, but he dedicated himself to
jewelry-making and began accumulating basic silversmithing tools. A relative, Billy Tsosie,
taught him how to make his own stamps, and thus began Norberts obsession with intricate
stamping and texturing. These highly refined skills epitomize his style: designs are carefully
planned and laid out to within a fraction of a millimeter. Designs are rich in detail but
restrained, and stamps are struck so that the depth of stamping is perfectly even. Now with
more than 300 handmade stamps and dozens of hammers for texturing, Norbert creates
imaginative and often humorous pieces with the confidence of a master.
Norbert met his wife-to-be, Linda (née Mullahan), also from Crystal, and they
started their own family: Natasha was born in 1981 and Aaron in 1983. Linda and
both children picked up hammers, stamps, and silver early on and still create
beauty today, all in their own respectable styles. Natasha married Ben Patrick
Haley, who is from a family known for their handmade silver beads. Their
son Luke, now 12, works with his mom, dad, and grandparents, sharing the
family legacy of peshlakai, or beeshligaiiliterally “white metal.
Ken Williams, Jr.
Wheelwright Museum
