Gibson Nez

Biography by Mateo James

Gibson Nez — Jicarilla Apache/Navajo silversmith hallmark namecard

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).

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.

Know more about this artist? Contact T.Skies.

This profile is maintained in support of Native American silversmiths and compiled from published references. See something inaccurate, or want to add to it? Contact us.