Vintage SB Taos Sterling Silver Storyteller Concho Belt Heavy 582g Wildlife 44"

This gorgeous belt was purchased in the late 1970s/early 1980s. One owner.  A remarkable piece of Southwestern jewelry history sourced directly from Santa Fe, New Mexico. This exceptional concho belt bears the coveted SB Taos hallmark on the buckle's verso, representing the highly collectible 1970s–1980s silversmith collective based out of Taos, NM.  Features an intricate storyteller pictorial design. Each of the eight panels serves as an individual silver canvas, showcasing hand-wrought, non-identical narrative scenes of wild deer, etc.  True to the collective's dedication to early Native American revival techniques, these panels were hand-hammered from thick, heavy-gauge sterling silver.  Specifications Artisan Group: SB Taos Collective (Taos, New Mexico) Era: Vintage c. 1970s / 1980s Composition: Heavy-gauge sterling silver panels on a genuine brown leather strap, .75 inch width Total Weight: 582 grams (Gross weight including leather; highly substantial silver mass) Total Length: 44.5 inches (Measured hook to the end of the leather strap) Concho Count: 8 distinct, hand-stamped and incised storyteller wildlife panels, each measures 3.25 x 2.5 inches, backed with leather Condition: Excellent vintage condition with a rich, uncleaned natural patina beautifully intact, only lightly polished with a silver cloth.  Stored in a felt bag in a jewelry box, climate controlled and smoke free home.