Zuni Pueblo Bracelet with Mosaic Gemstones and Rainbow Man [SOLD]
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- Category: Bracelets
- Origin: Zuni Pueblo, SHE-WE-NA
- Medium: jet, spondylus shell, turquoise, mother of pearl, silver
- Size:
5-¾” inside end-to-end;
7-¼” size; 1-1⁄4” width - Item # C4304C SOLD
This Zuni Pueblo mosaic gemstone Rainbow Man bracelet consists of turquoise, jet, mother-of-pearl and spiny oyster shell set in stone-to-stone fashion in finely serrated silver bezels. Such fine bezel work is the work of an exceptionally talented jeweler and such meticulous lapidary work could only have been accomplished by an incredibly talented artisan. The stonework was laid on sterling silver backing as the foundation, which was curved to fit the top of the bracelet. The bracelet foundation is formed from two silver bars that are spread apart at the top and joined at the ends.
The Zuni Rainbow Man is among the most popular jewelry item for collectors. Representations of specific native religious imagery such as this was frowned upon among most pueblos, but some ceremonially significant figures were conventionalized and used for decorative purposes, probably knowingly so, because of non-Indian interests. Some of these figures had their appearances deliberately altered to avoid offending traditionalists’ spiritual sensitivities.
The way the gemstones were cut and so tightly merged against each other demonstrate that an incredibly talented lapidary artist was at work on this piece. The strong black of the jet, merged with the blue of the turquoise, accented by the spiny oyster’s orange-red color and the warmth of the glossy white of the mother-of-pearl provide a palette that is not achieved in today’s jewelry as it was in the past. This is truly an exceptional work of art.
Condition: this Zuni Pueblo Bracelet with Mosaic Gemstones and Rainbow Man is in original condition
Provenance: from the collection of a Colorado gentleman
Recommended Reading: “The Jim and Lauris Phillips Center for the Study of Southwestern Jewelry at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian” by Jonathan Batkin. In American Indian Art Magazine, Summer 2015
Relative Links: Zuni Pueblo, jewelry, bracelets
- Category: Bracelets
- Origin: Zuni Pueblo, SHE-WE-NA
- Medium: jet, spondylus shell, turquoise, mother of pearl, silver
- Size:
5-¾” inside end-to-end;
7-¼” size; 1-1⁄4” width - Item # C4304C SOLD
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