Necklace c. 1950

This silver necklace, made by a Navajo artist, is an exercise in the process of accumulation and arrangement. The artist has taken simple, repeated elements - small silver beads and bell-shaped pendants - and carefully composed them into a larger, more complex form. The surface of the silver has a tactile quality. You can see the marks of the tools used to shape and polish the metal. The tiny spheres and flowers are rhythmic and uniform, yet each one is subtly different, bearing its own unique set of imperfections and irregularities. Look closely at the naja, that crescent shaped pendant at the bottom. You can see how it grounds the whole piece, while echoing the individual bell shapes above. Navajo jewelry often combines both native and Spanish influences in its design. Think about how the clean geometry of Agnes Martin meets the expressive folk art of the Southwest. The necklace is a wearable sculpture, a testament to the beauty that can be found in simplicity, repetition, and the subtle variations of the handmade.