Bracelet c. 1910

This bracelet, now at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, was crafted by a Navajo artist. I’m trying to imagine the artist carefully hammering and shaping the metal, coaxing it into this simple, elegant form. I wonder about the placement of that turquoise stone – like an eye, maybe, or a protective emblem. It’s so smooth, such a contrast with the textured metal. I’m thinking about the work of other Navajo artists, how they use color and form to tell stories, to connect with the land and their ancestors. The metal is like aged skin, marked by time. Making art is like entering a conversation that spans centuries. We’re all in it together, grappling with similar questions, and finding new ways to express them.