Zuni Pueblo Flower Post Silver and Turquoise Earrings with Diné Squash Blossoms [SOLD]

Early in the 20th century, traders on Southwestern Indian reservations had Zuni Pueblo lapidary artists cut and shape stones and Diné artists fabricate fine silverwork to hold the stone designs. These early earrings go one step beyond this. They are a remarkable hybrid of the combination of two sets of earrings. After close inspection, it is apparent that originally the earrings were single flower screw back earrings. Sometime after they were made, they were converted to post earrings and the silver loop of the screw back was used to hang incredibly old handmade beads and squash blossoms. The additional squash-bead combination could have been another pair of earrings or part of a necklace. The marriage of the Zuni flowers and Diné beads creates a one- of-a-kind set of truly intertribal earrings.

Every aspect of these very early Zuni-Diné earrings shows that each of the makers paid close attention to detail. The channel inlay flowers were executed with precision, the stones fit snugly and evenly into the silver channels. The Diné squash blossoms and beads which hang from the flowers are an example of how Diné silversmiths could flawlessly fabricate small sections of silver into beautiful shapes. This is a very collectible unique and unusual set of earrings.

Note: when we say Diné, as opposed to Navaho or Navajo, we are referring to the people and not the government. Since 1969, their government refers to itself as the Navajo Nation.

Condition: The Zuni Pueblo Flower Post Silver and Turquoise Earrings with Diné Squash Blossoms are in very good condition. All of the cut stones are intact and the silver is in good shape.

Provenance: The earrings come from a Southwest Indian Jewelry collector in Colorado

Recommended Reading:

- Indian Silver: Navajo and Pueblo Jewelers by Margery Bedinger

- Southwest Silver Jewelry by Paula Baxter

- The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths by John Adair

Relative Links: Zuni Pueblo, Diné, earrings, Southwest Indian Jewelry