This antique piece of
'Old Pawn' jewelry is a beautiful Navajo turquoise, coral and silver adornment.
This traditional necklace is quite unusual in that it is rare to find a piece of
this age that is made of coral as well as turquoise and is double-sided.
Both patterns, executed by an experienced artisan, are exact copies rendered in
turquoise on one side and in coral on the other. On each side, the
crescent or 'naja' is created with a silver central line bordered by 48 teardrop
shaped stones and capped by 9 additional stones. The design of the naja is found on many Navajo creations,
including bridles. Due to the number of stones and the amount of silver,
it is quite heavy and hangs beautifully. The necklace measures 25 1/2
inches long (including the clasp) and the naja is 2 1/4 inches wide by 2 1/2
inches high. The piece weighs 5
ounces.
Updated:
Thursday May 17, 2012
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Member: National Bit, Spur & Saddle Collector's Association and Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America
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Pure Cowboy
Member: National Bit, Spur & Saddle Collector's Association and Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America
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Item # J520 / $2,500.
Antique Double-Sided Navajo Squash Blossom Necklace
Navajo, Hopi and Pueblo
Indians learned the art of silver smithing from the Spaniards in the 1800's, as
they did many other crafts. Skills such as horsehair braiding, rawhide braiding and
saddlemaking were taught by at the missions. The Native Americans took
each craft and turned it into an art. The Naja design was adopted from the Spanish
designs, which were in turn copied from items brought to Spain by the Moors (in the same way
that Longhorn cattle moved from North Africa to finally settle in Texas).
This Naja design is found in antique bridles and many other items
fashioned by
the Navajo and tribes from the Southern United States.
In the tradition of the Southwestern Tribes, coral and turquoise are central to personal adornment for spiritual and physical protection. Coral's attributes include cures and protection from ailments such as blindness or snakebite. The wearing of coral is said to bring great luck, long life and virility. Turquoise is the representation of the ties between Earth and sky - symbols of the spirit and the body. The wearing of turquoise is as if wearing a piece of sky that has fallen to Earth. The original Squash Blossom necklace probably appeared sometime in the 1880's. The word for the "squash blossom" bead in Navajo is "yo ne maze disya gi". It is thought to mean "bead that spreads out." Traditionally, this particular necklace was worn at ceremonies. Antique Double Sided Squash Blossom Necklace / Item # J520 /$2,500. Click Here To E-mail Us About This Antique Necklace Contact Us To Arrange Your Purchase
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Please contact us at your convenience: michael@purecowboy.us or sarah@purecowboy.us Members: National Bit, Spur & Saddle Collector's Association The American West is celebrated and collected by people all over the world -- we offer easy international shipping, by either the US Postal Service, UPS, Federal Express or Container. Pure Cowboy, 1770 West State Street, # 315, Boise, Idaho 83702 208.342.5019 or toll free: 888.575.1890 All items sold by Pure Cowboy are for decorative purposes only. All other uses are exclusively the buyer's responsibility Copyright © 2008-2014 Pure Cowboy |