Gibson Nez
Name-card placeholder — hallmark imagery to follow
Overview
Gibson Nez (1947–2007) was a Jicarilla Apache/Navajo artist active from the 1970s until his death — cast and overlay combinations, stamp work, channel inlay, set stones and repoussé in silver and gold, with various stones including ammonite. He was a multiple award winner.
An ex-bronco rider and stunt man, Nez considered himself a leather worker rather than a silversmith, and per the corpus he combined contemporary with traditional in his silver craft — the first word prints clipped as "temporary" in our scan. He was the brother of Kee Nez, whose own entry confirms it: "Brother of Al and Gibson Nez." His documented marks: G ZN, one form with a sans-serif Z.
Collector's caution: Hougart adds a note that Gibson Nez's stamp "mimics a fam-" — the sentence breaks off in our scan, so we cannot say what the stamp resembles. Until verified at the physical source, read a G ZN stamp together with the work itself rather than on the letters alone.
The Mark
"Gibson Nez (1947-2007; Jicarilla Apache/Navajo). Active 1970s-2007. Cast and overlay combinations; stamp work; channel inlay; set stones; repousse; silver, gold. Various stones; ammonite. An ex-bronco rider and stunt man, Nez considered himself a leather worker rather than a silversmith. Gibson Nez combined "tempor ary with traditional" in his silver craft. Multiple award winner. Marks: G ZN (one has "Z" sans serif); the stamp mimics a fam- [sentence breaks off in our scan]"
— Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022), approx. p. ~21975.
The mark as documented in the Hougart corpus: G ZN (one has "Z" sans serif); the corpus adds that the stamp "mimics a fam-" — the sentence breaks off in our scan.
References
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. Schiffer Publishing, 2022. Entry approx. p. ~21975.
Know more about this artist? Contact T.Skies.