STERLING SILVER & LAPIS ZIA PENDANT BY ROBERT YELLOWHORSE NAVAJO

Description

Navajo silversmith Robert Yellowhorse handcrafted this stellar pendant out of sterling silver and Lapis.  Great Zia symbol design!  For the Zia, the Zia sun symbol represents the Circle of Life: four winds, four seasons, four directions, and four sacred obligations.   A timeless beauty that you will enjoy for years to come.  Weighs 12 grams.  Signed. (Chain not included)

1  1/2” wide x 2” long

Artist card included

The Navajos began working with silver in the 19th century, and began making things like buckles, bridles, buttons, rings, canteens, hollow beads, earrings, crescent-shaped pendants (called “najas”), bracelets, crosses, powder chargers, tobacco canteens, and conchos (for belts).  Their silversmithing skills has evolved and changed throughout the years, and in about 1880 Navajo silversmiths started to set turquoise in their silver work.  Traditionally, Navajo artists worked with jewelry techniques like repousee and stamp work, but today they explored in other Native American jewelry making techniques like Zuni inlay work and Hopi overlay work.

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