Photograph by Addison Doty. Copyright 2011 School for Advanced Research.
Earring
Artist or Maker: Unknown
Dimensions:
7 cm (2 3/4 in.)
Medium: silver | turquoise | gold lip | pen shell | jet | abalone | coral | mother of pearl
Credit Line: Gift of Henry S. Galbraith, 1988.
Place Made:
Zuni Pueblo, McKinley County, New Mexico, Southwest, United States, North America
Object Number: SAR.1988-6-34A
Not on view
Tribal Collection Review RemarksJim Enote and Octavius Seowtewa during collection review visit February 16 and 17, 2011 (Events Record “Collection Review: Zuni Tribe, Review 6”): The design of these earrings is a stylized Knife Wing design with a Sun Face for the head and pendant part of the earrings as the body and tail. The materials used are silver, turquoise, gold lip, abalone, pen shell, jet, coral, and mother of pearl.
Knife Wing is a figure in Zuni stories who helped the Zuni people find their homelands. Because he could fly he was able to help them find a good place to live. He is a symbol of strength and is associated with War Chiefs. He is also depicted on some types of altars. Knife Wing is always depicted as dressed very similarly to an Eagle Dancer. The difference between the two is that Knife Wing wears the type of mask and headdress depicted in this painting; an Eagle Dancer would wear a kokko mask. Though dressed much like an Eagle Dancer, Knife Wing is only a symbol and is not represented in dances.
The Indian Arts Research Center, in collaboration with Native American community scholars, strives to present accurate collections records. Records may be updated as new information becomes available and is reviewed with the Native American community having cultural affinity to particular items. Please write to iarc@sarsf.org if you have questions or concerns related to the documentation.