Hopi Silver Overlaid Bear Paw Belt Buckle by Jackson.

This buckle is a true work of art. This is a very, very heavy gauge belt buckle. This incredible buckle was hand made from start to finish. And, it is perfect down to the matting. This buckle features the overlaid image of a traditional Bear Paw design. This image was hand cut with perfect precision out of tarnish resistant nickel Silver and overlaid onto the nickel Silver buckle. Silver on Silver, you can't go wrong with that. Made in our shop by local artist Jackson. This impressive buckle is 3-1/4" wide by 2-3/8" tall with a 1-1/2" wide keeper on the back. Stamped Handmade and signed by the artist J X N.

Overlay is created by "sweating" or soldering two pieces of silver together. The top piece contains a design element which is meticulously hand cut out of silver. The bottom piece is oxidized and often textured with stamping to produce a contrasting background. Once together the work is carefully filed, buffed, and polished to produce this fine finish.

The Bear is a potent source of strength for many Native Americans. Admired for their strength, independence, and self reliance, the Spirit of the Bear was often invoked before entering battle. Warriors sometimes painted their faces with marks resembling bear claw scratches and carried double-edged knives with handles carved from the jawbones of bears as good luck charms. It was believed that bear power could also cure illness. Shamans or medicine men from many different groups frequently dressed as bears when working to heal the sick. Just as honoring the bear spirit could bring blessings to people, provoking the spirit might bring them harm. For that reason, some tribes, most notably the Apache, forbade their hunters to kill a bear, or even to touch the carcass of one found dead in the woods.