Zuni Jewelry
The discovery of prehistoric jewelry at ancestral Zuni villages inspired a revival of mosaic work in the 1920’s. The updated technique utilized silver backing rather than wood or shell. Modern mosaic work features an array of stones and shell from around the world. The artist designs the overall form and then individually cuts each stone to fit tightly with the other stones in the piece.(Continued below)
Zuni Jewelry - Bracelets (1)
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Zuni Jewelry - Earrings (10)
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Zuni Jewelry - Pendants (3)
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Zuni Jewelry - Pins (8)
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Zuni Jewelry - Buckles (2)
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Zuni Jewelry Sets (2)
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Another type of mosaic work, called overlay inlay, features two pieces
of silver, one for the backing and the second, with a pattern cut from
the silver, soldered on top. Rather than leaving the silver empty as
in Hopi overlay, zuni artists fill the opening with stones laid in to
form a mosaic design.
Channel inlay is a variation of mosaic inlay. The artist creates
soldered silver compartments within the backing. Cut stones fitted
within the compartments create repetitive geometric designs or
figurative pieces. The compartments strengthen the integrity of the
many stones within a mosaic piece and provide an added design element.
Since ancient times, the Zuni people have used fetish carvings for
protection and blessings. Originally carved from stones found near the
pueblo or from traded shells, early fetish jewelry consisted of simple
stone and shell necklaces which might contain several animal fetishes
or a single animal pendant. Fetish carvings still figure strongly in a
Pueblo artist’s life and livelihood as well as serving as design
elements in their jewelry. The variety of materials and originality of
carvings have made Zuni fetish jewelry extremely popular.
--Excerpts from A Guide to Indian Jewelry of the Southwest by Georgiana Kennedy Simpson
Artists who create Zuni Jewelry:
Twin Rocks Trading Post · P.O. Box 330 · 913 E. Navajo Twins Dr · Bluff,
UT 84512
Phone:
435-672-2341 · Toll-free
1-800-526-3448
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