Ketoh c. 1930

This Ketoh or bow guard was made by a Navajo or Diné artist, and you can find it at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The way the silver filigree curls around that beautiful turquoise stone, like it's cradling it. It reminds me of a painter who’s thinking about edges, how a line can both define and release a shape. I imagine the silversmith carefully bending and shaping the metal, almost as if they're drawing in space. There's a real sense of balance here, the way the elements are arranged. It makes me think about how different art forms and traditions echo each other, sharing ideas across time and space. It feels like a piece of history, but also something timeless, like the urge to make something beautiful and meaningful. It’s like a small poem, a quiet gesture against the vastness of the world.