Pueblo
American Southwest
1920
Natural turquoise, shell heishi, and red trade beads
Length 24 in / 61 cm, jaclas 4 1/2 in / 11.4 cm
Provenance: Private collection, Albuquerque, New Mexico
This Pueblo necklace strings graduated natural turquoise tabs along a strand of fine white shell heishi, the tabs building from small stones at the back to large slabs across the front. At the center front hangs a three strand jacla, a turquoise heishi drop finished with red trade bead petals at its tips. The turquoise is a deep green with brown matrix, each tab cut and drilled by hand into an irregular natural shape.
The stones were pump drilled, the hand tool used across the Pueblos before power tools, worked from both faces to meet in the center. Tab and heishi necklaces with a jacla drop are among the oldest Southwestern jewelry forms, worked entirely in drilled stone and shell and predating the introduction of silver. The graduated turquoise, hand cut tabs, and retained jacla place this within the early tradition, made to be worn against the collarbone.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Pueblo
American Southwest
1920
Natural turquoise, shell heishi, and red trade beads
Length 24 in / 61 cm, jaclas 4 1/2 in / 11.4 cm
Provenance: Private collection, Albuquerque, New Mexico
This Pueblo necklace strings graduated natural turquoise tabs along a strand of fine white shell heishi, the tabs building from small stones at the back to large slabs across the front. At the center front hangs a three strand jacla, a turquoise heishi drop finished with red trade bead petals at its tips. The turquoise is a deep green with brown matrix, each tab cut and drilled by hand into an irregular natural shape.
The stones were pump drilled, the hand tool used across the Pueblos before power tools, worked from both faces to meet in the center. Tab and heishi necklaces with a jacla drop are among the oldest Southwestern jewelry forms, worked entirely in drilled stone and shell and predating the introduction of silver. The graduated turquoise, hand cut tabs, and retained jacla place this within the early tradition, made to be worn against the collarbone.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
