Dig It - 11/9/23
Dig It! Today we are looking at an early 20th Century Navajo bracelet. Dating these is a little tricky as it was the style of bracelet that was made over a long period of time. My best guess is 1910 to 1930. If one looks at Harry P. Mera’s, “Indian Silverwork of the Southwest, Illustrated, Volume 1”, you will see a very similar bracelet in Plate 7 on page 33. Mera was collecting at Trading Posts throughout the Southwest in the 1930s, and he collected for the Laboratory of Anthropology, picking only bracelets that were made by Navajos for Navajos. Essentially, he was collecting pieces that had been in pawn. Most of the bracelets Mera collected show substantial wear, indicating that the bracelet illustrated in Plate 7 probably dates to the 1920s or earlier.
This bracelet has beautifully cut turquoise cabochons, two green and one blue-green, a possible old-time replacement. These cabs, were probably cut in Europe and may have originally all matched in color. Softer turquoise stones, like Cerrillos, tend to turn green over time as they pick up human body oils. With this bracelet, the usual central twisted wire is flat, except at the terminals, where it is filed to look like twisted wire. This is a wonderful little bracelet, measuring 5.5” inside from terminal to terminal, with a 1.25” gap between terminals. It is for sale! If it fits, act fast, as I don’t see many bracelets of this age or quality any more. All the Best, Lonesome