Navajo-Made Sterling Silver and Turquoise Letter Opener [SOLD]

Letter openers were popular items for tourists traveling along the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in the mid-20^th Century. Some featured fancy designs that the Fred Harvey encouraged his artists to make. Others were the creative expressions of the individual. Traditionally Navajo silversmiths used silver to highlight the beauty and radiance of an individual stone. This letter opener is a good example of that style. A single stone is set within a simple elegant silver bezel. The remainder of the opener is simply shaped.

This opener probably dates to the early 20^th Century.

Condition: excellent condition.

Recommended Reading:  Inventing the Southwest: The Fred Harvey Company and Native American Art by Kathleen L. Howard, Heard Museum Staff, Diana F. Pardue

Provenance: from a gentleman in Colorado