Bracelet 1900 - 1910

This silver bracelet, inlaid with turquoise, was made by a Navajo artist. The bracelet, for me, is all about surface. The metalwork has a graphic quality, those engraved lines so sharp, they could almost be printed. The turquoise is really something else, though. It has this almost waxy, soft, and organic quality, and in contrast, the metal work looks precise. It's a kind of grounding element, the focal point of the bracelet but also where it finds its peace. Think about the way Agnes Martin used grids but always let her hand show, allowing the imperfections to create a kind of vibration. Similarly, the Navajo artist finds a balance between the mechanical and the handmade. It's never one or the other, but a conversation.