Charles Loloma Personal Hopi Silver Signature Belt Buckle

Unauthorized reproduction or use is strictly prohibited by law.

Here is a rare and unique prize indeed. This amazing buckle is an absolute unqualified stunner, one of the most dramatic, unique, beautifully conceived and finely executed Charles Loloma pieces we have ever seen and we have seen

a great many of them over the years. This sort of piece is precisely why Charles Loloma is justly regarded as the pre-eminent Native American jewelry artist of his time or any other time. The buckle has a striking, unusual design of Charles Loloma’s own personal jewelry signature beautifully rendered in the traditional style of Hopi overlay silverwork in which a design is cut into the top layer of bright polished silver which is then overlaid onto a bottom layer of dark oxidized silver to give the piece a “shadowbox” effect of depth.

the very highly-polished silver surface of the buckle and the darker cut out of the signature design masterfully forms a wonderful and delightful to the eye contrast in surface textures and “color” between its intentionally polished and unpolished areas. It is also quite fascinating that this ground-breaking revolutionary Hopi jewelry artist who did things and invented techniques and methods no one had ever seen done before chose when making his own personal “Signature” buckle for himself chose to do it in the more traditional, older style of Hopi silver overlay jewelry which is the technique that most Hopi jewelers have used since it was created in the 1940’s and still primarily use today.

“Charles Loloma perceived beauty in the earth, in the water, and in the sky. And with great precision and boundless imagination, he reflected it truly in the nearly perfect things that came from his hands.”

-N. Scott Momaday, from Charles Loloma’s eulogy, 1991

At left, a modern day view of Charles Loloma’s former studio in Hotevilla, Arizona where this buckle was originally made. At right, Charles Loloma and his apprentice Verma Nequatewa at work in the Loloma studio, 1970.

Right photo source and © Martha H. Struever “Loloma, Beauty Is His Name”, Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe, 2005, pp.21

Charles Loloma (1921-1991)

Left and right photo source and © "Loloma: Beauty is His Name"

by Martha H. Struever, Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe, 2005

Charles Loloma taking a nap in his home/studio at Hotevilla Village on the Hopi Third Mesa, 1984.

Photo source and © Santa Fe Art Auction. Photo by Jack Welpott.

“Charles Loloma made the “signature” belt buckle for himself and kept it in his personal collection. I kept it in my personal collection until 2019 when I sold it”.

-Georgia Loloma, 2019

This exceptional buckle made by a world-renowned artist for a world-renowned artist is a unique and special piece,

a precious piece of jewelry from the artist’s own personal collection and a uniquely elegant memento of and connection to his life. It literally pulses with the vitality and energy of his person and his art. This highly personal piece makes

an extremely bold statement and is a real demonstration of the wisdom and truth of Charles Loloma’s sentiment about beauty in a piece of art quoted below, which it does most eloquently. After all, Loloma’s personal name in Hopi means “Beauty” and this personal buckle is the very essence of that ideal.

Price available upon request

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Note: The leather belt pictured here is for demonstration purposes only and is not included in the sale

of this buckle. If desired, we can recommend an excellent custom leather belt maker in Santa Fe.

However, as one can clearly see, the manner in which Loloma employed this more traditional technique is itself distinctly and powerfully modern and visually arresting; clean, streamlined, uncluttered and the graphically intense presentation of his name and identity in Hopi overlay almost seems a deliberately chosen method in which to emphasize his own distinctly Hopi identity.

The buckle measures 3 1/4" in width including the silver belt loop and is 1 1/2" in height and 1/4" in depth. It weighs 64 grams or 2 1/4 ounces and it is in remarkably excellent original condition and particularly so for its 45 or so year of age. There are a few very tiny nicks only in evidence. The buckle will accommodate a belt leather of up to 1 1/8" width.

In addition to the beautifully hand-wrought Loloma "Signature" on the face of the buckle the buckle is also properly

and beautifully signed "Loloma" on the back in Charles Loloma’s artful 11-stroke hand-engraved jewelry signature.

Befitting its unique beauty and distinctiveness, the buckle has the ultimate artistic provenance. Charles Loloma made

it for himself sometime in the 1970’s-80’s and he kept it in his personal collection until his untimely death in 1991 at which time the buckle passed by descent to his widow, Georgia Voisard Loloma who kept it until 2019 when she sold it

to us. Included in the sale of the buckle is a signed letter of attribution from Georgia Loloma which is pictured below and the text of which is reproduced below.

Charles Loloma’s own personal Charles Loloma Hopi silver “Signature” belt buckle, c.1970's-80's

ex: Charles Loloma Personal Collection, Hotevilla, AZ

At left, Charles Loloma's personal "Signature" business card and counter card, c. 1970.

“If there is beauty in a piece of art, a person can absorb it and become more beautiful.”

-Charles Loloma