Bracelet c. 1950s

This bracelet was made by a Navajo artist, with silver and turquoise. The way the silver wraps around the stone feels like a dance; a choreography. I always think of process when I look at art. The silver has a beautiful patina, a gentle wearing down of time, and in contrast the turquoise is so vivid; pools of blue and green, like looking into a miniature ocean. Notice the teeth-like edges around the stone, almost like it’s being held in a protective embrace. Then, these tendrils of silver reach out to the wrist, elegant and strong. It’s easy to imagine the hand that crafted this, the care and skill. It reminds me a little of the jewelry of Alexander Calder, or maybe some of the outsider artists. This bracelet really speaks to the ongoing conversation between art, craft, and culture, a conversation that never ends.