Ring c. 1930

This ring was made by A’shiwi (Zuni) artists, and what hits you first is the mesmerizing arrangement of turquoise stones. It's like a field of tiny blue-green seeds, each held in place by delicate silver settings. Looking closer, the stones vary in shape and color. Some are teardrop-shaped, others round, and the turquoise ranges from a vibrant sky blue to a deeper, more muted green. The surfaces are smooth, almost polished, so you can imagine the artist carefully selecting and placing each stone just so. The whole piece is like a little world, a microcosm. There’s a similar use of color and pattern in the work of my friend Etel Adnan, that same way of finding harmony in the small details. Ultimately, art is like a language, constantly being spoken and reinterpreted across time.