Santo Domingo Depression Era Bone and Celluloid Necklace, 1930s

Santo Domingo / Kewa Pueblo, Southwest

1930s

Bone, celluloid, Bakelite, and mixed materials

Length: 13 1/2 in (34.3 cm)
Diameter: 22 in (55.9 cm)

Provenance: Private collection, Santa Barbara, CA

This Santo Domingo Depression Era necklace is made with bone, celluloid, Bakelite, and other mixed materials. During the 1930s, Santo Domingo artists used available trade and salvaged materials to create distinctive jewelry that continued Pueblo beadmaking traditions in a period of economic difficulty. The necklace includes small tab-like elements and a central bird-form pendant, giving it a recognizable Depression Era Santo Domingo character.

The use of nontraditional materials is part of the importance of this jewelry type, rather than a secondary detail. Artists transformed humble materials into wearable forms with strong color, rhythm, and cultural identity. This example belongs to the resourceful and highly collectible Santo Domingo jewelry tradition of the early 20th century.

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