Squash Blossom Necklace
Workshop of
Slender Maker of Silver
(North American Indian, Diné (Navajo), near St. Michaels, Arizona)
Dateca. 1885
MediumSilver, turquoise, and cotton cloth
DimensionsOverall: 15 5/8 inches (39.69 cm)
Credit LinePurchase: acquired through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Henry I. Marder
Object number2007.43
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 207
Collections
DescriptionSilver necklace of round beads strung with pomegranate shaped auxillary beads and inverted crescent suspended at bottom with a single piece of turquoise set in the front.Gallery LabelThe squash blossom necklace is perhaps the best known of all American Indian jewelry forms. Created during the third quarter of the 19th century by Navajo silversmiths in response to Moorish, Spanish and Mexican traditions, the form spread to other tribes and has evolved in countless variants to the present day. This early necklace is attributed to Slender Maker of Silver, who, as a craftsman and innovator, was considered to be the best silversmith of his time. Details of construction, together with its heavy, powerful form derived from blacksmithing techniques, identify this as a product of his workshop. Significantly, the necklace's original cordage is intact, indicating that it has suffered no loss or additions of components through restringing.
Torrence, Gaylord, ed. Continuum: North American Native Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Kansas City: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
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2012.27.28
