Dig It - 8/9/24
Yet Another “Pile-o-Jewelry” you ask? Well Fellow Seekers, I may have used this photo before, but finding another stash out there, seems highly unlikely. However, you never know, and that is what keeps an Old Prospector going. I have just a few notes which might be of interest.
The bracelet with the rounded triangular stone, second in from the left, is interesting because the bracelet’s terminals end in stamped profiles of Indian heads wearing feather bonnets. These head stamps are found mostly on silver spoons and date from the late 19th to the early 20th century. The Navajo generally don’t wear feather bonnets, and the those spoons were made as souvenirs for the tourist trade. So what are they doing on this bracelet? I believe this bracelet was made for Native Use. It has lots of wear and is heavier than most bracelets made for tourist trade. In Cindra Kline’s book, "Navajo Spoons" she does illustrate seven bracelets with profile heads for terminals and considers them quite rare. It is interesting that in the case of this bracelet the line between crafts made for Native consumption and those made for sale to Outsiders seems to be blurred. Some Navajo silversmith who probably was making the spoons may have thought, "Hey, that Indian head is cool! Maybe I will put it on my bracelet."
The other thing of note is the Ketoh, which has a commercially made Western purse clasp to fasten it. I have always found Navajo to be eminently practical and if there is a better “mouse trap” they will use it. This Ketoh was out of Skip Holbrook’s collection, which he sold to Morning Star Gallery back in 1986. The gallery made a great poster of the collection. Jordan P. Davis, a Co-owner of the gallery, bought the Ketoh mostly because he liked the funky clasp. I worked for Jordan for two years, and I have to say he had one of the great acerbic wits I have ever known. Jordan passed last year, at the age of 90. Time to move on down the Trail. Adios Fellow Seekers. - Lonesome