Bracelet c. 1950s

Here's a bracelet made of silver by a Navajo artist. The surface has been worked to suggest the intricacies of vine or plant growth. I imagine the silversmith carefully shaping the metal, allowing open spaces to emerge, maybe like cutting shapes out of paper. Each little curve or cut-out probably involved careful labor, a kind of dance between intention and accident. I like to think about the decisions they made, the moments of doubt, the surprises, and the sheer physical work involved. The overall design is very reminiscent of other jewelry and metalwork made by Indigenous artists across the Americas, referencing shared motifs. It’s beautiful how creative ideas flow and change across time, culture, and place. It reminds me that as artists we are always building on the work of those who came before us, responding to the ideas, materials, and forms that have shaped our understanding of what art can be.