Sterling Silver “Loco Thunderbird” Pin by Jan Loco [SOLD]

While many of Jan Loco's pieces bear a heavily hammered finish, this "Loco Thunderbird" pin showcases her ability to achieve an incredibly sleek, contemporary aesthetic using purely manual techniques. The sterling silver form features a smooth, highly polished finish. Its clean silhouette is punctuated by stamped triangles outlining the edges of the feathers, a single stamped circle for the eye, and a sacred "Spirit of the Rock" symbol stamped directly over the bird's heart.

The back reveals the artist's personal hand-engraved hallmark, ensuring its authenticity and provenance: Apache handmade, J. Loco, Loco Thunderbird sterling.
To honor the spirit of her ancestors, Loco famously developed a highly labor-intensive, primitive fabrication method: she refused to use any power tools. Instead, she hand-cut her silver using heavy-duty shears and traditionally textured her pieces by meticulously striking them with specially selected river rocks.

Jan Loco's (b. 1949) journey into jewelry design began in 1988 after a profound adult discovery: she was the great-granddaughter of Chief Loco, a legendary leader of the Warm Springs Apache who was imprisoned in Florida by the U.S. government in 1886. Raised by adoptive parents who kept her heritage a secret until adulthood, she channeled her newly discovered history into a stunning artistic career inspired by Apache legends, celestial elements, and native wildlife.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Sterling Silver "Loco Thunderbird" Pin by Jan Loco is from the collection of a resident of California

Recommended Reading: American Indian Jewelry II: A-L, 1,800 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf

TAGS: Southwest Indian Jewelry, Apache American Indians, Jan Loco