shell and turquoise necklace

unrecorded Kewa Pueblo (Santo Domingo) artist, artist

shell and turquoise necklace, late 1800s–1981

Where object was made: New Mexico, United States

Material/technique: metal; shell; turquoise

Dimensions:
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 33.5 x 8 cm
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 3 1/8 x 13 3/16 in

Credit line: Gift of Forrest E. Jones

Accession number: 2007.1499

Not on display

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Roots and Journeys: Encountering Global Arts and Cultures

Shell and turquoise are a favored material for making jewelry among the Pueblo people. Turquoise, formed in rock deposits, is mined locally, while shell is traded from coastal areas in Mexico and California. Abalone, a mollusk with an iridescent inner shell, is commonly used in necklaces and often carries symbolic attributes. The small pieces of abalone shell drilled to form beads are called heishi, which typically form the main necklace strands.

Exhibition Label:
"Roots and Journeys: Encountering Global Arts and Cultures," Jul-2011, Nancy Mahaney
Shell and turquoise are a favored material for making jewelry among the Pueblo people. Turquoise, formed in rock deposits, is mined locally, while shell is traded from coastal areas in Mexico and California. Abalone, a mollusk with an iridescent inner shell, is commonly used in necklaces and often carries symbolic attributes. The small pieces of abalone shell drilled to form beads are called heishi, which typically form the main necklace strands.