Lapidary artists and silversmiths have been making jewelry in the Southwest for over 150 years. A Navajo man named Atsidi Sani is often credited with being the first to learn the basic techniques from a Mexican silversmith in 1853. After 1880, traders supplied Native American artists with materials for the production of silver jewelry intended for sale to tourists, one of the founding principles of the “trading post”. Jewelry artists from the Pueblos also contributed to the development of silversmithing and lapidary arts in the Southwest, with some Pueblos, like Zuni, establishing unique and extremely popular styles. The “trading post” concept continued well into the 20th century, and one of the most famous was Packard’s on the Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in business for 70 years from 1944-2013. This Vintage Packards Santa Fe J. Suina Signed Sterling Silver, Turquoise & Leather Cowboy Hatband is in Good Condition, with 4 small holes in the leather at middle, a small surface tear in the leather near the right end, some dark patina to the sterling fittings, and with some scattered wrinkling, darkening, and age wear evident. Otherwise, the hatband is in fine shape, with no other damage. Most interestingly, it measures 27 1/2” long x 1/2” wide, boasts an incredible design of 8 square sterling silver fittings with embedded Turquoise surrounded by some “cloud style” border engraving, interspersed with 8 rectangular sterling silver fittings with matching “cloud style” border engraving, all along the brown leather body, with the front fitting acting as the sizing/securing buckle, and is stamped at the underside of that front buckle with the maker, content, and artist, “PACKARDS / STERLING / J. SUINA”. J. Suina was a Cochiti (Pueblo) artist who lived near Santa Fe, New Mexico, and frequently made high end sterling jewelry and art pieces for Packard’s in the ca. 1970s. Now to the provenance of this piece, which comes directly from the personal collection of award-winning gunwriter and book author Rick Hacker. Mr. Hacker relates that this hatband has been in his collection for 38 years, and before that, it was in the collection of the late Bob Six, who was president of Continental Airlines from 1936-1980, and married to television actress Audrey Meadows (Alice Kramden from “The Honeymooners”). Bob Six was also a devoted fan of the American West, engaging in fast draw contests and California trail rides with fellow equestrians. It has resided in Rick Hacker’s personal collection until now, and a signed letter of authenticity from Mr. Hacker will accompany this piece. A fine example of a very rare, original Vintage Packards Santa Fe J. Suina Signed Sterling Silver, Turquoise & Leather Cowboy Hatband.