An Important Piece Everyone Should See

Once in a while, a piece comes our way that is so informative that we want everyone to see it, for what it can teach us. Here is one of those pieces, a truly great all-silver Navajo bracelet with a stunning twist.

The decoration on this bracelet is done with a combination of stampwork, filework and repousse, which is typical of high-quality early bracelets. It is fashioned from an annealed band of ingot silver, and then decorated before being rounded into bracelet shape.

This view of the inside shows the three long repousses, as well as some of the delaminations that developed in the silver during the annealing process. You can also see the sall bosse on the terminals, which were done by repousseing and filing the fluting onto the front side, a very difficult and time-consuming process. But what is truly stunning about this bracelet can be seen in the next photo:

In addition to the initials RNB, undoubtedly the original owner, there is a professionally engraved date on the back, the year 1905. Clearly, the original owner (or even a very early owner) took the bracelet to a professional jeweler and had initials and a date engraved on the back, where it can still be clearly seen. It is incredibly rare to find a great early piece with an associated date, and it shows what fine work the early Navajo silversmiths could accomplish. We and other scholars of old Navajo silver have always associated repousse and filework with pieces from this era, and this bracelet proves without a doubt how skilled the great artists of the 1900-1905 era really were at stampwork as well.

Silversmithing terms every collector should know, part 3

And one last time, with the help of the glossary found in SOUTHWEST INDIAN SILVER FROM THE DONEGHY COLLECTION, here is a guide to some of the important terms found in silverwork in general, and Southwest Indian silverwork in particular.(Illustrating photos are shown above the corresponding term.)

SHEET SILVER--silver formed into a flat sheet of uniform thickness, normally by mechanical means. Commercially produced sheet silver has been available in the Southwest since 1929.

SILVER--well, duh. Seriously, early silverwork (pre-1910, generally) was made from melted coins, which were normally around 90% silver and 10% copper. When laws were enacted making it illegal to destroy American currency, traders substituted silver ingots or slugs, which were a higher purity of silver. (Still looking to see when those laws were passed.)

SPINY OYSTER--a bivalve from the Gulf of California with a mottled red and white shell that was traded both prehistorically and historically to the tribes of the Southwest. Often set in silver jewelry or cut into beads. Not to be confused with red abalone, which has a similar look.

SPLIT BAND OR SPLIT SHANK--a basic form of bracelets (band) and rings (shank). A flat silver band is split in the middle, with the ends being left alone, and the splits are then spread out to widen the piece.

SQUASH BLOSSOM--a bead consisting of a conical blossom attached to a round bead, frequently used in combination with other types of beads in a type of necklace that has also taken the name of Squash Blossom. The form is likely derived from Spanish trouser buttons, which were in the form of pomegranates.

STAMPWORK--decoration of a silver surface by striking it with a metal stamp with a raised design. By repeating simple elements, elaborate designs can be formed with simple tools.

TURQUOISE--the generally blue or blue-green mineral that is the most commonly used stone in Southwest Indian jewelry and silverwork.

WIRE--silver wire was a commonly used decorative element, and the earliest bracelets were simple silver wire bangles. Early wire was hand-drawn through a draw plate, while later in the early 20th Century commercial square and round wire became available.

Silversmithing terms every collector should know, part 2

Again, with the help of the glossary found in SOUTHWEST INDIAN SILVER FROM THE DONEGHY COLLECTION, here is a guide to some of the important terms found in silverwork in general, and Southwest Indian silverwork in particular.(Illustrating photos are shown above the corresponding term.)

KETOH--a wide leather band worn on the forearm by Navajo archers to protect them from the snap of the bowstring. Silver plates were often attached to the leather, turning a utilitarian object into a piece of adornment. Also called a bowguard.

NAJA--a crescent-shaped ornament used as a pendant on horse bridles and necklaces. Probably derived from Spanish and Moorish decorative elements in leatherwork.

NEEDLEPOINT--a technique mainly used at Zuni where elongated pieces of turquoise are set in parallel or concentric rows.

OVERLAY--a technique where a silver sheet with cutout designs is soldered on to a backing piece of silver. The indented areas are then blackened by oxidation to emphasize the contrast. Developed at Hopi during the 1940s, and considered the quintessential Hopi technique.

REPOUSSE--relief decoration of a flat piece of silver by hammering out a pattern from the reverse side. Often complemented by filing or stampwork.

Part 3 will be coming shortly, so stayed glued to your screen.

Silversmithing terms every collector should know, part 1

Speaking the language in a foreign country can make any trip more enjoyable, especially since it lessens the odds of inadvertently ordering braised sheep bladder in a fine restaurant. In a trip into the world of antiques, there is often another language to be spoken, which can be just as incomprehensible as Lower Slavonic to the neophyte. Luckily, our little corner of the antiques world (American Indian silverwork in particular) has a relatively limited supply of strange words that tip the collecting scale towards "must have". With the help of the glossary found in SOUTHWEST INDIAN SILVER FROM THE DONEGHY COLLECTION, here is a guide to some of the important terms found in silverwork in general, and Southwest Indian silverwork in particular.(Illustrating photos are shown above the corresponding term.)

ANNEALING--a process of tempering metal by heating and rapid cooling. Usually, it involves hammering the softened metal into the desired shape and form. Most silverwork done before 1940 in the Southwest was either annealed or cast.

APPLIQUE--a small decorative element, such as wire, soldered to the main body of the object.

BEZEL--a thin strip of silver rimming a stone and holding it to the backing. In early pieces, the bezel was usually notched and folded over the stone to a small degree, to help hold the stone in place without the silver crimping and creasing.

BOSS--a raised element, that can be either repoussed or soldered on to the main body of the object.

CABOCHON--a style of stonecutting in which the stone is polished into a rounded surface and not faceted. Most turquoise set in post-1920 silver items is in cabochon form.

CASTING--formation of an object in a mold, which in this case meant pouring molten silver into a mold. Different types of casting will be discussed later.

CHANNEL INLAY--the process of setting pieces of stone or shell into silver channels as part of a larger design. Historically, characteristic of Zuni work, though in later years the process has been used by artists from many different groups.

CHASING--decoration on silver with a chisel and hammer. Normally only occurs on very early Navajo work, as it was quickly replaced by stamping.

CONCHO--a flat sliver plate usually decorated with radiating designs and used in groups as part of a belt or bridle. The edges are normally scalloped, and the shape is usually elliptical or round.

HUBBELL GLASS--glass beads, usually a vibrant blue, that were imported from Italy and Bohemia and sold as a substitute for turquoise. Juan Lorenzo Hubbell, the trader at Ganado, Arizona, was such a proponent of these beads that they eventually took his name.

INGOT--silver that has been melted and cast into a form for later use. Ingot silver can describe a piece of jewelry that was originally produced from a silver ingot, rather than from commercially rolled sheet silver.

JACLA--a small loop of discoidal turquoise and shell beads, originally worn either as an earring or as a drop on a larger necklace.

Stay tuned for part 2.

A piece that deserves a closer look...

Once in a while, we find an item that we think is special in some way, and would be interesting to deconstruct. (We won't literally take it apart, so don't worry.) This time, the subject is B GD/20, a Navajo silver and turquoise bracelet from circa 1920.

The style with two tri-wires on either ide of a twisted square wire is not uncommon, and was one of the favored styles of that particular time. However, not many of these bracelets have the very cool details found on this one.

First off, note the plate under the turquoise. It is thick hand-pounded silver, rather than machine-milled commercial sheet. The irregularities of the edges mark it as pounded ingot, which is generally earlier and far ore desirable from a collector's standpoint than sheet silver.

Next, note the wear on the inside of the bracelet. The twisted square wire shows the type of wear consistent with years of use and skin contact, which is exactly what would be expected from an old piece.

Finally, the terminal ends are finished with a thick rectangular piece of silver instead of a thin piece--again, ingot silver rather than sheet silver.

There is more to be said about this wonderful bracelet--to hear the full story, give us a call or drop us an email. (480) 423-8777 and info@turkey-mountain.com.

Where we'll be and why we'll be there

One of the hardest things about the business of selling antique American Indian items is figuring out how to put yourself in front of your customers. A website is a wonderful tool, but nothing beats the personal contact you get at shows and other live venues. Photos can give a good idea of what a certain piece has to offer, but you can't beat the touch and feel of a fine object. That is why we have always tried to travel to see our customers whenever and wherever possible, which has been one of the cornerstones of our business. The next year will have us following an especially ambitious travel schedule, with some new and exciting shows and events.

There are a plethora of antique and Native American shows we could do, enough to keep us busy every weekend if we so chose. But we try to be careful with the shows and events at which we exhibit, as this list of events points out.

November 4th--The St. Louis Indian and Western Art Show. A smaller show, more low-key than many, but probably the only good venue for Indian material in the Midwest.

November 11-12--Special Trunk Show in New York City. The Big Apple has always been a good market for us, and we were regular exhibitors at the Pier Show, which unfortunately died an untimely death. There are other suitable shows in the City, but none that fit well into our schedule, so we will be doing a trunk show on our own at the Skyline Hotel on 10th Avenue at 49th Street.

January 21-22--The High Noon Show in Mesa, Arizona. The best Western show in the country, with a lot of very fine Indian material as well. And since we lived in the Phoenix area for so long, it is always nice to see old friends.

February 17-19--The Marin Show in San Rafael, California. One of the longest-running Indian shows in the country, and a good place to see West Coast clients and friends.

February 28-March 5--Special Trunk Show at Bishop Gallery in Scottsdale during Heard Market. Those of you who have not been to Heard Market, which is basically like Santa Fe Indian Market in miniature, are missing a treat. And the Bishop Gallery, where we set up during that time, is one of the oldest and most interesting galleries in town, with a particular specialty in the work of Fritz Scholder.

What's Hot in Santa Fe

Like any other area of collection, the market for American Indian Art has its "hot" areas. Serious collectors will usually stick to their area of interest (or obsession, as the case may be) but the more casual collector can be influenced by what is considered to be popular. And this year, there was a clear winner in that category:

Good turquoise.

Not the types of turquoise that everyone considers top of the line, like great Lone Mountain, #8, Landers and Bisbee. Though those remain very popular, the hottest area of collecting was the turquoise in the next level, like Blue Gem, Kingman, Morenci, Royston and the Mountains (Indian and Red). Very fine stones all, but pricewise a notch below the most expensive stones, and therefore a good value. Most pieces with these stones do not have great age, since those mines were generally not open before 1930, but it is the quality and vibrancy of the stones that is the appeal.