Necklace Date Unknown

This necklace was crafted by A'shiwi, or Zuni, artists using silver and turquoise. The squash blossom design—with its naja pendant and stylized floral elements— carries layers of cultural meaning. The naja, that crescent-shaped pendant, didn't originate here. Its roots lie in ancient North African symbolism, where it was believed to ward off the evil eye. Introduced to the Zuni and Navajo people by the Spanish, it was integrated into their own belief systems, becoming a protective emblem. And those "blossoms"? They are not exact botanical representations, but stylized symbols. You see, the subconscious is a powerful force. These symbolic flowers echo across cultures, resonating with collective memories of fertility, growth, and the cyclical nature of life. Notice how the turquoise connects the design. Its color, like water, or sky, is a life-giving, positive force. The squash blossom endures, transformed, imbued with new significance by the hands and hearts of the A'shiwi artists, bridging distant worlds and times.