View 1 - Assembled.
Photograph by Addison Doty. Copyright 2011 School for Advanced Research.
Bolo tie | Earrings, pair | Pin | Base
Date: c. 1940
Artist or Maker: Unknown
Dimensions:
7.5 × 8 × 2.7 cm (2 15/16 × 3 1/8 × 1 1/16 in.)
Medium: silver | turquoise | coral | jet | mussle shell | melon shell | mother of pearl
Place Made:
Zuni Pueblo, McKinley County, New Mexico, Southwest, United States, North America
Object Number: SAR.1989-7-166A-E
Not on view
Tribal Collection Review RemarksOctavius Seowtewa during collection review visit February 17 and 18, 2010 (Events Record “Collection Review: Zuni Tribe, Review 4”): Mr. Seowtewa suggested that Frank Vacit may have been the artist who made this piece. The channel inlay work is fine and detailed, without many gaps between the inlay material and the silver channels. The materials used are silver, turquoise, coral, jet, mother of pearl, melon shell, and purple mussel. The catalog card states that abalone is used, but it is really mother of pearl. The “cream shell” it mentions is the melon shell.
The piece is meant to resemble a medicine society altar with a Shalako seated in front; however, certain details of the altar have been changed or are missing, so it is not an accurate representation. (The catalog card states it is a “Shalako shrine,” but there is no such thing as a Shalako shrine.) The piece is actually four separate jewelry pieces mounted on a base from which they are easily removed. The Shalako figure is a pin, the two pieces on either side of the Shalako are earrings, and the back portion of the “altar” is a bolo tie.
In Collection(s)
Bibliography:
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.