Apache Sterling Silver and Brass “Thunderdance” Gaan Pin by Jan Loco [SOLD]

Using only simple hand tools, Apache artist Jan Loco forged an extraordinary likeness of a silver Mountain Spirit dancer pin with brass designs on its body. The Apache believe that the Mountain Spirits, or Gaan Dancers, were sent to them by Usen, the Creator, to teach them to live in harmony.

On this pin, Jan Loco fashioned a hand-forged image of a dancer that she textured by using only a stone. The labor-intensive method brings a subtle vitality to the piece. Jan Loco has not made jewelry for many years and it is always a joy when we receive one of her pieces. The pin is signed with the artist’s name, J. Loco and with the name of the piece, “Thunderdancer.”

A member of the Warm Springs Apache tribe, Jan Loco (b.1949) began making jewelry in 1988. She developed a unique process of making jewelry without the use of hand tools. After cutting the silver to the desired shape (with heavy-duty poultry scissors or something similar), she hammered it with a specially selected rock until she achieved the texture she desired. This is a laborious task, but she felt it honored her ancestry to use items of nature rather than power tools.

Condition: excellent condition. 

Provenance: this Apache Sterling Silver and Brass "Thunderdance" Gaan Pin by Jan Loco is from the collection of an East Coast museum

Recommended Reading: Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry by Diana Pardue