Silver Cast Naja Navajo Guild Pendant or Pin

The Diné Masterpiece: A Sterling Silver Naja Pin/Pendant

This striking naja pin/pendant is the work of a skilled Diné artist, meticulously crafted from radiant sterling silver into an elegant naja shape. The designer's expertise is immediately evident in the flawless symmetry of the piece, with both the right and left sides mirroring each other perfectly. The pin/pendant, formed through the cast process, is a testament to the artist's mastery over their craft.

The design of this piece draws on the rich history of Navajo jewelry-making, which often incorporated elements borrowed directly from Spanish colonial and Mexican ornaments. One such element is the naja, a crescent form of Moorish origin. The Spanish conquerors in the Southwest adorned their horses with elaborate silver ornaments, including the naja, which hung prominently on the forehead of the horse as part of the bridle. This pin/pendant is not just a piece of jewelry, but a symbol of cultural exchange and historical continuity.

The pin/pendant is stamped on the back with the hallmark of the Navajo Arts and Crafts Guild, an organization to assist Navajo artists who learned their trade at Indian schools to sell their wares. It was officially chartered in 1941. "Craft items were produced either at the guild shop, in the homes of the craftsmen, or at community workshops already established on the reservation. Materials and supplies were issued only to craftsmen who could meet the standards and requirements for quality established by the guild." [Messier & Messier, 2014:68]

Condition: good condition.

Provenance: this Silver Cast Naja Navajo Guild Pendant or Pin is from the collection of a client of Adobe Gallery

Reference: Reassessing Hallmarks of Native Southwest Jewelry -Artists, Traders, Guilds, and the Government, by Pat Messier & Kim Messier

TAGS: Southwest Indian Jewelry, Navajo