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Pure Cowboy
Member: National Bit, Spur & Saddle Collector's Association and Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America The May Edition of the Pure Cowboy Newsletter Click Here for Newsletter Back Issues
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Item #J802 / $3,500.
Antique Navajo Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace
This necklace was created by experienced artisan of 17 pieces of turquoise. These are set as follows: 5 stones on each side of the necklace are in squash blossom settings and 7 are set in the crescent or 'naja'. 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 22 1/2 inches long and the naja is 3 inches wide by 2 3/4 inches high. The piece weighs 5.2 ounces.
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. 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 Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace / Item #J802 / Item #J802 / $3,500. Click Here To E-mail Us About This Antique Necklace or to order now by phone, call (888) 575-1890
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Please contact us at your convenience: 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, 1775 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 |
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This antique piece of
'Old Pawn' jewelry is a beautiful Navajo turquoise and silver adornment.
This traditional necklace is created with large pieces of old turquoise set in
intricately worked silver, mounted on a double strand of hollow silver beads.
The silver flutes or 'blossoms' are large and feature a 4-petal pattern.
The turquoise is quite colorful with veins of orange, yellow and gold
throughout. The matching of the stones is a true accomplishment and
evidently all were taken from the same source.
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.
