Norbert Peshlakai Sterling Silver Quail Pin [SOLD]

Four tiny quail dance above an engraved silver ground on this delightful pin made by award-winning Diné of the Navajo Nation artist Norbert Peshlakai. On a sterling silver rectangle, Peshlakai textured the lower portion of the pin to resemble flowing grass. The quail seem to strut above the grass. Peshlakai incorporated a sense of movement in his avian creatures on silver. Since he makes his own stamps, his designs are guaranteed to be one of a kind.

The pin is signed with Peshlakai's hallmark, an O with a dot inside with brackets on either side.

Norbert Peshlakai was born on the Navajo Reservation in 1953. He is a fourth-generation silversmith, the name Peshlakai means "silversmith" in the Diné language. His mother was a well-known weaver and his uncle a silversmith. He attended high school in Albuquerque and went on an athletic scholarship to Haskell College in Lawrence, Kansas. At Haskell he enrolled in a jewelry making class where he developed a love for working with silver. In addition to jewelry, he is known for making pottery in silver. He is the winner of numerous awards and a belt buckle of his was featured on the cover of the Heard Museum's Indian Market magazine in 2018.

Condition: this pin is in excellent condition

Provenance: this Norbert Peshlakai Sterling Silver Quail Pin is from a former New Mexico resident who now lives out of state

Recommended Reading: Southwestern Indian Jewelry: Crafting New Traditions by Dexter Cirillo