Navajo Sterling Silver and Turquoise Naja Earrings [SOLD]

These contemporary earrings were made in the shape of the naja, a design element that originated with with Moors in Spain (see more below). The artist added two teardrop-shaped pieces of turquoise to the crescent-shaped naja . The earrings are stamped “BY” but we are unable to determine exactly who the artist was.

Condition: The Navajo Sterling Silver and Turquoise Naja Earrings are in excellent condition.

Provenance: This pair of earrings comes from a Southwest Indian Jewelry collector in Colorado.

Recommended Reading: Navajo Jewelry: A Legacy in Silver and Stone by Lois Jacka

What is a naja? Early Navajo-made jewelry contained elements that were borrowed directly from Spanish colonial and Mexican ornament. One of these items is the naja, a crescent form of Moorish origin. The Spanish conquerors in the Southwest outfitted their horses in elaborate silver ornaments-one of which was the naja that hung directly on the forehead of the horse as a part of the bridle.