Turquoise & Jet Inlay Abalone Shell Necklace [SOLD]

Mosaic inlay over shell has been an art form practiced by Southwestern Indians for thousands of years. They acquired shells from California and the Gulf of Mexico, often in trade for turquoise.

This abalone shell has been overlaid with small square turquoise and jet stones. It is pendant from a hieshe necklace also made from shell material.

The back side of the shell is textured in a beautiful luminescent color. The necklace actually could be worn with either side of the pendant showing.

Provenance: From the estate of Transcendental artist Florence Pierce of Albuquerque who passed away in 2007 at the age of 89. She was best known for luminescent paintings made of pigmented resins on reflective surfaces. Her interest in abstraction began in the 1930s when she was an associate of the Transcendental Painting Group. The New York Times called her “the doyenne of abstract art in the Southwest” following her art exhibit in New York City in 2006.