Matriarchland. Indigenous Adornment.Happiness & Beauty All Around. Be Matriarch.

Created as an homage to my desert ancestors, I focus on the historical significance of Indigenous southwestern tribal adornment culture and the perpetuation of those adornment practices perpetuated into the 21st century. In honor of my Navajo & Hopi Pueblo People & my ancestral matriarchs, and male relatives who adorned themselves with elements of the earth. Be Matriarch. Hózhó Nashá- Beauty all Around. Venaya Yazzie

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Ring.Bug Ring.

Bug ring.
Photo by VJ Yazzie

This recent purchase was made in Gallup, New Mexico. My aunt bought this ring for me for my birthday in September. I just fell in love with this bug, or choosh (bug) ring. The inspiration for this piece seems to have been a lady bug. Its made of sterling silver, black onyx and turquoise.I ADORN my hands in the fall season, with happiness.

Rectangular Inlay Earrings With Spiny Oyster Square

Mosaic Inlay Earrings made by Mary Coriz Lovato

I found these Pueblo style earrings on the Santa Fe Shiprock Gallery website. They are made by Kewa artist Mary C. Lovato. Truly lovely earrings!

Bio from the wesite:

Mary Coriz Lovato, daughter of Santiago Leo Coriz, was born to the Corn Clan. Besides raising five sons to become accomplished silversmiths, Mary finds time to turn out some of the finest Indian jewelry found today. Mary's forte is inlaid shell earrings and pendants, a blend of the contemporary and the traditional.

Her work has become the standard by which shell inlaid jewelry is measured. Slivers of turquoise, pipestone, serpentine, coral, jet and mother-of-pearl reflect the colors of the Sun's glow.

Since time immemorial, the Santo Domingo Pueblo has traded seashells from the Gulf of California and the Pacific over regular trade routes. Pendants cut from the glossy shells in various forms were overlaid with designs in abalone, jet and turquoise.

Since the 1860's, craftsmen have created "traditional" silver jewelry. In the 1960's a "new look" in Indian jewelry emerged. And new work being done today has a quality all of its own. It's not like the old stuff...it's better!

For more info visit: http://www.shiprocksantafe.com/beta/items/view/22219

Kewa.Mosiac.Inlay.Earrings

These earrings are so beautiful!
I was able to purchase these earrings directly from the maker on a visit to the winter feast days at Ohkay Owingeh, which is the Tewa expression for San Juan Pueblo reservation.

The earrings were made by a young man from Kewa Pueblo (Santo Domingo) which is located in northern New Mexico halfway between Albquerque and Santa Fe. During this time I was able to talk with the artist and ask about the earrings. He explained that they are made in the tradition of Kewa jewerly makers using on authentic earth elements.

These earring are made in the Indigenous jewelry way of mosaic inlay. For this particular pair of earrings the Pueblo maker used materials including: clam shell, mother of pearl shell, onyx, turquoise and silver.

As you can see the entire earring is made using the halved clam shell as the main foundation of the piece. They then inlaid atop the shell using symbolic geometric designs as they applied the various elements.

These earrings are among my treasures in my jewelry collection. I ADORN myself and wear them in times of celebration and during gallery openings. Truly, many of the the Kewa Pueblo people have a spectacular Indigenous designs to ADORN the People!