This needs a home where it can be displayed like any piece of "Rare/Collectible" Native American art just like you’d see in a museum..Personally, it deserves to be displayed in it's own special case, rather than worn in order to maintain it's historical value & appeal. (but that’s your call!) These vintage sterling studded Navajo velvet shirts are extremely hard to come across, since they are either in museums or in avid collectors hands.Truly for the serious collector of historical Native American artifacts that have stories behind them.

All the sterling is hand forged & the front is literally covered with a range of different size sterling pieces,from dime size hand stamped buttons,to 2 different type of fluted,to round studs.If you zoom in on the photos,you can witness the raw style handwork that each have.There is actually a pattern to the design(See photos)..I counted around 246 buttons alone on the front of the shirt.
The sleeves are covered in their entirety with a range in size from a 6 mm sterling stud to a 9 mm. Counting just one sleeve,the front side has approximately 128 studs on the front & the back of the sleeve has about 116 for a total of 244! (X's that by 2 for the other sleeve since they look identical)

This has sterling "Grandmother Tips" that have little cabochons of turquoise & are sewn into the collar & then pinned to the base of the shirt.(See photo).I was told that the triangular corduroy 'gussets' may have been added at a later date to the armpit.

If you look at the last photo,you will see the shirt turned inside out & how the metal is sewn onto the fabric..

Please refer to all the photos since they play a major role to the shirt.

FIRM ON PRICE