Nearly 5 troy ounces sterling silver belt buckle highlighted with a barbed wire motif. This buckle was shown at the Western Design Conference in Jackson, Wyoming. It was well received and awarded “Honorable Mention” (2nd place).
The buckle is hand made in sterling silver on a hand tooled 2″ wide leather belt. A perfect pairing indeed.
There is a story behind the creation of this piece as elaborated in the tale presented to the judges of the Western Design Conference below: “The Secrets Cowboys Keep”
The Secrets Cowboys Keep
6:00 A.M. ! Riding down a dusty road outside our Montana town.
Aged barbed wire fences with a deep patina stretch for miles.
Unlikely to see anyone out here…maybe a rabbit or a deer.
BUT there he was, rattling his fair warning…several feet away.
He looked to be nearly “12 feet tall” as he rose up.
But this cowpoke wasn’t about to react…there really wasn’t time.
Cool and calmly we eyeballed each other in passing. Without quarrel, we chose our separate ways. This wouldn’t be the last time
I would see this “new friend”.
~
This solid sterling silver buckle is not an overly-complicated design: a spacious style with a centered sharp accent.
Which is a lovely compliment to the detail of the hand tooled leather belt.
— nice pairing.
As you look further on this buckle you will find the “new friend” has found a place in this world of metal.
4.4 troy ounces of fabricated sterling silver are in this artwork. With the help of hammer /fire and a sharp file, these memories are brought to life.
john glossa
…..My “new friend” on the reverse side of the buckle.
A few more images and some slight variations to the design.
