Old Pawn Late 60s Navajo Indian Genuine Turquoise Sterling Silver Squash Blossom Necklace 0100-SQNK
Old Pawn Late 60s Navajo Indian Genuine Turquoise Sterling Silver Squash Blossom Necklace.
This vintage late 60s old pawn Navajo Necklace is an impressive, eye-catching piece of hand made Native American jewelry. This old pawn necklace was bought from a bead store in Albuquerque that trades with the Navajo. It features genuine Turquoise that looks to be from the Royston mine. These Turquoise stones have gorgeous sky blue and aqua colors. The center of this Squash Blossom Necklace is dressed with a large hand made Sterling Silver naja with traditional hand stamped designs. It was hand strung with hand made bench beads. This necklace was as black as the ace of spades when came to us so we have given it a brushed Santa Fe satin finish to help restore some of its original character. The total length of this Squash Blossom necklace is 27-1/2". The Naja is 2-1/2" wide and 3" long. Signed by the Navajo Indian Jewelry artist.
OLD PAWN
Throughout our Indian lands the trading posts serve also as pawn shops with the trader usually involved in an earthy form of banking business - part of the process known as pawning. Most reservation Indians convert their cash into silver and turquoise jewelry and woven articles made from their native wool. When in need of money or commodities their assets are used as securities for loans. At times the trading post vault is the safest place in which to keep valuables. In this case the Indian pawns the items for a minimum loan and is happy to pay the interest rate in return for the security of his goods. If articles are not redeemed after the contractual length of time, it becomes "dead pawn" and may be sold by the trader for whatever the market will allow.
The Dine' (or Navajo) People are a unique group of American Indians still living the traditional way of life throughout the four corners region of the Southwestern United States. The Navajo people have returned to the original name, the Dine' (pronounced di-nay'h), given to them by their holy people. The Dine' land (aka Navajo reservation) on top of Oak Creek Canyon is the largest reservation established for the Dine', covering about 25,000 sq. miles of land, and is located in parts of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. The Navajo were the first of the southwestern Indians to produce metal jewelry. Around the mid-19th Century a Navajo Medicine Man, Atsidi Sani, convinced a Mexican blacksmith to teach him the art of working with metal. When the Navajo returned to their homeland in 1868 after their imprisonment at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, traders arrived in the area bringing silver coins with them. It was with these coins that the Navajo began to make silver jewelry.
We understand the true value and nature of hand crafted Indian art. And, we recognize it's important to know that the artist is truly a member of a Native American tribe. So, to ensure you that this is the real deal, a Certificate of Authenticity has been included with this item.
CERTIFIED AUTHENTIC |
