Bracelet c. 1920s

This bracelet was made by a Navajo artist, and it’s now here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Imagine the careful hands that crafted it, each mark an intention, each choice a reflection of deep knowledge. I think about what it must be like to be a Diné artist, holding a piece of silver, feeling its cool smoothness before bending it to your will. There's a turquoise stone, that watery blue-green, set right in the middle. Look closely at the metalwork, those stamped designs—tiny sunbursts and lines. Each one had to be hammered out, repeated, and considered. It reminds me of the patience and dedication of the quilters I admire. I also work with repetition, and that’s when things become interesting. How the artist’s touch and the way they repeated marks reveals something so personal and expressive. We all learn from one another and make something new.