Lady Liberty dollar coin squash blossom necklace c. 1923

This Lady Liberty dollar coin squash blossom necklace was made by a Navajo (Diné) artist using silver. It's amazing how they took something as commonplace as a dollar coin and transformed it into something beautiful and wearable. When you look at the surface of the silver, you can see the marks of the tools used to shape it, almost like brushstrokes in a painting. The artist isn’t trying to hide the process; instead, the imperfections become part of the story. Look closely at the squash blossoms - each one is slightly different, with its own unique texture and shape. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. This necklace reminds me of the work of another artist, Eva Hesse, who also embraced the beauty of imperfection and the handmade. Both artists show us that art is not just about the finished product, but about the journey of making and the stories that objects can tell.