Belt Buckles by Sam Patania
I occasionally do work for men, not often but occasionally. I made these three belt buckles last year and set them with premium turquoise. The one on top and bottom left have Bisbee turquoise and the bottom right with Carico Lake. My usual turquoise grading went out the window when I used gold grade stones in sterling silver.
The design of the different shapes of silver is a design my dad did years ago. He called it “Bits-O-Silver” and dad would use only triangular shapes in the work. I made many of these “Bits” items over the years I apprenticed to my dad and the challenge with that design was to not let any of the pieces face the same way as the adjacent “Bits”. I would solder and re-solder those bits until my dad was satisfied. My dad was a tough teacher and I hope if either of my children follow in my footsteps I am as tough a teacher as my dad. It was really the only way to learn, he never told me what I wanted to hear but kept me working until he was satisfied. It was, after all, his name on the sign on the front of the store and on each piece. I love my dad for teaching the way he did.
My father and grandfather employed many craftsmen over their careers, they always had a workshop full of smiths. Many of these craftsmen went on to start their own businesses after learning from my predecessors. That is not an unusual way for craftsmen to work, it has happened all through history. It was the only way for a non family member to learn this trade until schools started to teach the jewelry trade.These craftsmen used the FP hallmark to show that it was a piece designed by Frank Patania ( either senior or junior) but made in the work shop not necessarily by either Frank. This causes confusion these days since anyone looking at one of our shop pieces would see FP and assume a Frank had made it. My grandfather did not know that the family would continue the work he started and my father didn’t know I would continue it. The hallmarking was not seen as important in earlier days as it is now when collectors are trying to distinguish who made what piece from my family. It wasn’t until the 1999 Tucson Museum of Art show that I realized how important the hallmarking would become. I started to have the smiths use a mark of their own in conjunction with the FP to show who made the piece but that it was a Patania designed piece made in the Patania workshop.
I maintain that a school is no substitute for an apprenticeship because a school will not give the crafts person the opportunity to do many repetitions of the same project like a business situation does. If a school is all a person has to learn from and they have a burning desire then they will be able to take their schooling to a higher level of craftsmanship. Schools are very good at teaching design where in a family apprenticeship situation the family designs may become an end point not a starting point. I have tried all my career to be inspired by my predecessors but, differentiate myself with my designs and materials.
I made the “Bits-O-Silver” design my own by using, at first, different sizes of triangular pieces then branching out to include many different shapes in my pieces. I have made bracelets and neck wear in this design but I love to use it for belt buckles the most.
I had these pieces with Mark Bahti, www.bahti.com, and he has sold two of them and I don’t remember which one is left. If you are interested in them please contact Mark, 520-577-0290 in Tucson where Howard Sice can help you if Mark is not in.
{ 0 comments… add one now }