Zuni Pueblo Cardinal Necklace and Earrings SET [SOLD]

This Zuni channel inlay mosaic necklace features three pendant sections—two with single cardinal birds and one with a pair of cardinals. Each bird is composed of a mixture of materials—turquoise, shell, jet—arranged in a mosaic pattern. Each cardinal is surrounded with turquoise leaves. The cardinals are suspended from a handmade silver chain.

Each earring is a single cardinal of the same style as those of the necklace. The earrings are equipped with screw back attachments. The set dates from the mid-twentieth century. Inscribed are the initials CPL, but we have not located a Zuni artisan in published records with those initials, so we are unable to identify the maker.

Widely distributed in the East, the Northern Cardinal can be admired from southeastern Canada south through the eastern and central United States. It also occurs in southern Arizona and New Mexico, as well as in most of Mexico and in northern Belize and Guatemala. - Northern Cardinal - American Bird Conservancy

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Zuni Pueblo Cardinal Necklace and Earrings SET is from a member of the Balcomb family of Colorado, formerly gallery owners in New Mexico and Arizona.

Recommended Reading: Zuni: A Village of Silversmiths by James Ostler.