Necklace c. 1940s

This turquoise and silver necklace was made by A'shiwi artists, also known as Zuni artists, a while ago. It’s hard to pin down when exactly, but it’s clear that a lot of time and care went into it. There are so many little turquoise petals, each one a slightly different shade, nestled in these settings of silver. It reminds me of building up a painting, layer by layer, letting each color peek through the next. Look at the way the artist varied the shade of turquoise. The horseshoe shaped pendant has these baby blue stones, but if you follow the strand up you see other stones that are almost green. The silver is tarnished now, and you can see the marks of the maker's hand in its texture. It makes me think about how art changes over time, and how we change with it. Maybe that’s how art sustains us: it holds onto all of our feelings over the years. Isn’t it amazing how artists who we'll never even meet can teach us about change, beauty and loss?