Necklace c. 1900

This necklace, crafted by a Navajo artist, presents us with a fascinating array of symbols wrought in silver. Note the central 'naja,' the crescent form, which is a protective symbol, warding off evil. The naja’s journey is a long one. It appears in ancient Roman ornaments to protect horses from the evil eye, eventually migrating with the Moors to Spain, where it adorned horse trappings. Spanish colonizers then brought it to the Americas. Over time, the Navajo adopted and transformed the symbol, integrating it into their jewelry, a testament to the endurance and mutability of symbols across cultures. Consider, too, the squash blossom beads, evocative of fertility and abundance. These floral forms, seemingly simple, carry a deep emotional resonance, connecting wearers to the rhythms of nature. Like the pulse of the seasons, these motifs beat within us.