Bracelet c. 1930

This bracelet, by an unknown Navajo artist, is made of silver and turquoise. I love the way the stones are set, almost like paint dabs held in place by metal. There’s a real physicality to the piece, you know? The silver, cool to the touch, the weight of it on your wrist. It's not just decoration, it's sculpture. Look closely at the twisted silver that forms the band, and the triangles that fill the spaces between the stones. It’s the kind of detail that rewards close looking. It makes me think of the work of Art Smith, the mid-century modernist jeweler. Like Art Smith’s pieces, there’s a sense of movement and energy, a real conversation between the materials. Both demonstrate that art is an ongoing dialogue, each piece informed by the past, reaching towards the future.