Lot 94A
Native American, Southwestern United States, Dine (Navajo), ca. mid to late 20th century CE. A beautiful sterling silver squash blossom, naja pendant necklace with turquoise stones, that is wearable with a hook and eyelet clasp! The spherical, silver beads are threaded on a slender snake chain that branches into a double strand. Squash blossoms protrude from the bottom of each of the ten settings, the sawtooth bezels are framed by twisting wirework and feather shapes around the turquoise nuggets. The crescent shaped naja pendant has stamped motifs along the curve with turquoise set along the outer edges, and a dangling setting in the center. The verso of this dangling setting is stipple etched with what is possibly an artist's initials and a dash symbol. Size of strand 27" L (68.6 cm); naja pendant: 3" L x 2.5" W (7.6 cm x 6.4 cm); silver quality: 92% to 93%; weight: 164.9 grams
The Navajo word for the squash blossom bead literally means "bead that spreads out" and this tri-petal form first appeared around 1880. Initially the necklaces were rather simple with the tri-petal silver beads interspersed with rather plain beads. In time, stones were added to the blossom beads. According to the Navajo, the Naja is strictly decorative; however, it has always been held in high regard by the Navajo and other peoples. Additionally, scholars do know of a squash blossom petroglyph at Saguaro National Monument in Arizona and believe that the flower motif was introduced by the Spanish as a variation of the pomegranate flower blossom. The naja crescent is a Navajo symbol that may have been introduced to the Southwest by the Spanish who may have adopted it from Muslim / Near Eastern tradition.
Provenance: private Thornton, Colorado, USA collection
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#187201
- Condition: Pre-owned, vintage condition. Patina and dark toning to silver areas, but otherwise intact. Overall good condition and wearable!
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