Necklace c. 1940

This necklace was crafted by an A'shiwi (Zuni) artist. The material combination of turquoise and silver is so striking. Looking at it, I'm thinking about what it must have been like to make this, to set each little stone in its place. I am interested in the physical relationship between the artist and the materials. The silver beads that make up most of the necklace are evenly sized and spaced, but they’re also irregular. There’s a hand-wrought quality to them. They reflect the light differently, catching your eye and creating a sense of movement. In contrast, the turquoise stones are so tactile, they are cool to the touch. They invite touch, they remind you of the Earth. The horseshoe form at the bottom makes me think of good luck. Jewellery like this feels timeless, it reminds me of the work of someone like Louise Bourgeois, with its mixture of care and accident. It is an object which seems to have a life of its own.