Zuni Pueblo Silver Teardrop Earrings with Cardinal and Floral Mosaic Inlay [SOLD]

This exquisite pair of Zuni Pueblo earrings was formed in teardrop shape from sterling silver, then inlaid with a coral cardinal perched on a floral branch of coral flowers, turquoise leaves, and a jet branch.  The mosaic inlay of the pictorial elements is amazingly intricate.  Only an experienced lapidary artist could achieve such results.  The earrings are fitted for pierced ears.

One of our most popular birds, the Cardinal is the official state bird of no fewer than seven eastern states. Abundant in the Southeast, it has been extending its range northward for decades, and it now brightens winter days with its color and its whistled song as far north as southeastern Canada. Feeders stocked with sunflower seeds may have aided its northward spread. West of the Great Plains, the Cardinal is mostly absent, but it is locally common in the desert Southwest.  Source: audubon.org

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Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Zuni Pueblo Silver Teardrop Earrings with Cardinal and Floral Mosaic Inlay is  from the collection of a family from Colorado

Recommended Reading: Evolving Southwest Indian Jewelry by Nancy Schiffer