Bracelet c. 1950

This silver bracelet, made by a Navajo artist, feels like a landscape held in miniature. I can imagine the artist carefully shaping and bending each piece, coaxing the metal into these forms. Look at how the curves and angles play against each other! It makes me think of the rolling hills and sharp mesas of the Navajo Nation. When you look closely, you can see the hand of the artist in every detail, the slight imperfections and variations that make it so human. Is it simple or is it ornate? A bit of both maybe? These artists were deeply connected to the land, and their art reflected that connection. It's as if the spirit of the landscape is somehow captured in this bracelet. In its lines, it suggests the artist's intentions. A piece of wearable sculpture, an ode to form, but also, maybe, to the beauty of the world around us.