Jan Loco Silver Cuff Bracelet titled “Visions” [SOLD]

This beautiful silver cuff was made by Apache artist Jan Loco. It is an attractive piece with an inventive design. The cuff curves softly as it travels around the wearer's wrist, forming a shallow S shape.

The exterior is enhanced with a textural treatment, over which additional designs appear. These include a spiral, a hand, a circle with a cross in the interior, a jagged arrow, an Apache Gaan Dancer, and other figures. There is a lot happening here, but the manner in which the designs were created allows each element to nearly blend into its surroundings. They're visible when looking closely or under bright light, but otherwise, they are barely there. Loco's skillful arrangement of these elements further enhances the success of the piece.

The inside of the cuff is signed J. Loco, titled "Visions" and stamped with her hallmark cross symbol.

Jan Loco (b.1949-) began making jewelry in 1988. She developed a unique method of creating jewelry without the use of any power tools. Using only heavy-duty shears, she cut and fashioned her piece to the desired shape, after which she hammered it with a specially selected rock until she achieved the desired texture. This is a laborious task, but she felt it honored her ancestry to use items of nature rather than power tools. Jan Loco became interested in Apache symbolism and legend when, as a young adult, she discovered her Apache ancestry. Her work is inspired by the stories of her ancestors, incorporating designs reflecting the heavens, Apache legends as well as plants and animals of the Apache homeland. She did not learn of her Warm Springs Apache heritage from her adoptive parents until she was an adult. It was then that she learned she was the great granddaughter of Chief Loco, one of the last of the Apache chiefs, who had been imprisoned in Florida in 1886 by the United States government.

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR WRIST FOR BRACELET SIZE

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Jan Loco Silver Cuff Bracelet titled "Visions" is from a private New Mexico collection

Recommended Reading: Indian Jewelry of the American Southwest by Sarah Peabody and William Turnbaugh

TAGS: jewelry, Apache, Jan Loco, Apache Jeweler