Bug Infusion:
The Tradition of Insect Designs
in Native American Jewelry

Summer is the perfect time to contemplate and appreciate all that Mother Nature has placed around us. That includes bugs! This July, the insects have lit at Canyon Road’s Adobe Gallery…at least by way of traditional Native American handmade jewelry.

A collection of more than 30 insect jewelry pieces, pre-dating the 1950s, which Adobe Gallery has recently acquired, contains mainly Diné (Navajo) and Zuni-made pins and earrings. Traditionally, Diné and Pueblo jewelry was considered a symbol of wealth and status. In the case of the Diné, insects figure heavily into their creation story. The number four is very significant in the Diné belief system. It is said that many of the first peoples from the first three worlds who arrived in the “glittering” or fourth world from the underworld were insects, among others. There is no disputing that nature motifs are consistently found in traditional Native American arts. After all, life on the Pueblo is filled with nature—from the animals that freely roam its vast lands, to the variety of insects that tread in the dirt, to those that fly through the air. The Pueblo is a feast for the eyes and ears when it comes to nature’s bounties.

With the advent of new materials and refined tools such as the fine file during the “Classic” period, which took place in Native jewelry making during the 1870s, silversmiths were able to do more intricate designs and lapidary work. This led to the development of stamp work, which became the height of style during the mid-1890s. In the 1880s, artisans began to challenge what they knew by experimenting with form and creating new items including buttons and pins. In its crudest forms, early Navajo jewelry was predominantly made to be given and worn in the village. It wasn’t until after 1900, that the Navajo silversmiths really began designing jewelry for outsiders. After 1920, the Zuni, who learned from the Navajos, began creating jewelry for tourists. By the 1930s, most of what they made was sold to visitors. It was the Fred Harvey Era that ushered in the sale of pins depicting iconic Native imagery such as birds and insects.

While Zuni silversmiths learned silver jewelry making from the Navajo, the distinct differences between Navajo and Zuni jewelry-making style became apparent during the early part of the 20th Century. The Navajos favored large stones set in single bezels and the Zuni focused more on exquisite stone cutting and placement over the silverwork. Navajo jewelry distinguished itself for its “sculptural” qualities.

From the simplicity of a turquoise-laden small spider pin, to the detailed lapidary work of a Zuni butterfly earring set, to a stunning flying beetle with intricate “Old Style” stamp work as we now call it, Navajo and Pueblo artisans found a market for their work, which collectors can still appreciate today.