Bracelet c. 1950s

This silver bracelet by a Navajo artist is a small, wearable sculpture. Look closely at the surface; it's not smooth or shiny. You can see the marks of the tools, the way the silver was worked and shaped. It’s not trying to be perfect. The bracelet has this cool, open design with shapes that remind me of flowers and arrows, like a secret language. Each little element is carefully placed, creating a rhythm that goes all the way around. The metal is thick in some spots and thin in others, so the light catches it differently and gives it a handmade feel. Thinking about the way the artist combined these natural and geometric motifs makes me think of Hilma af Klint, who also explored hidden worlds through symbols and patterns. Both artists remind us that art doesn’t always have to be about what we see, but about what we feel and imagine.