shell and turquoise necklace, unrecorded Kewa Pueblo artist

Artwork Overview

unrecorded Kewa Pueblo artist, shell and turquoise necklace
unrecorded Kewa Pueblo artist, shell and turquoise necklace
unrecorded Kewa Pueblo artist
shell and turquoise necklace
late 1800s–1981
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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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.