Gary Reeves was born 1962 in Gallup, New Mexico and started handcrafting his magnificent works in 1972. He is the brother of David Reeves and half-brother of Sunshine Reeves. He shows at the Heard Museum, Santa Fe Indian Market and has won many awards. He exhibits extensively all over the Southwest and participates in several juried shows a year. His work is sold typically only at upscale galleries and shops in the Southwest. This buckle is an outstanding representation of his work from the 1980s. Being raised in Gallup, one of the biggest Native American jewelry hubs on the planet, he was exposed to the high quality works that are in abundance there. His brothers, David and Sunshine, both talented silversmiths, taught Gary in the ways of working sterling in an old, traditional style with the emphasis being on precision, design and execution. This buckle is no exception. The feathers and leaves are chisel chased with exacting depths and spacing seldom seen. The twisted wire frame of the design, the sterling coils and the perfectly placed single peyote button are a testament to his design sensibilities, and the outer edge of the buckle is artfully stamped in line with his dedication to producing high quality, traditionally designed pieces. The buckle measures 2 3/8” by 1 7/8”, is slightly domed and weighs 41 grams—pretty hefty for a buckle of this size. The belt shank is constructed in a traditional way—a static bar of sterling made for a 1 3/8” belt, and the tongue is also done using an old technique of soldering a tab to the buckle as opposed to a wire being soldered into place. Very sturdy construction on this nice heavy piece. It’s in excellent condition with enough age patina to really make the design pop. Elegant and collectable.
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