Cochiti Silver Necklace with Naja by Cippy Crazy Horse [SOLD]

Master silversmith Cippy Crazy Horse fashioned a classic thick-gauge sterling silver naja with chiseled parallel lines. The naja hangs from a necklace made of both rounded beads and narrow four-sided oblong silver beads. Each bead was carefully handmade and strung on a foxtail chain. The naja is detachable. giving the necklace a dual purpose. 

Cippy Crazy Horse was born in 1946 at Cochiti Pueblo. His father, Joe Quintana, was trained at Frank Patania’s Thunderbird Studio in Santa Fe where he was introduced to new designs and methods of working with silver. He was one of the finest silversmiths of his generation. 

Cipriano Quintana (1946- ) Cippy Crazyhorse continued the family tradition, becoming an innovator in his own right.  His work is defined by heavy gauge silver fashioned into jewelry with sleek, elegant designs that are a reflection of traditional Pueblo motifs with a modern twist.  The winner of multiple awards, he has been a judge at Santa Fe Indian Market and a curator of museum exhibits. His son, Waddie has continued the family tradition, becoming an award-winning jewelry designer. 

Both the necklace and the naja are stamped with the artist’s hallmark and stamped sterling.  The owner of this necklace kept detailed records of his purchases. His records indicate it was purchased at the IAIA shop in 2003.

What is a naja? Early Navajo-made jewelry contained elements that were borrowed directly from Spanish colonial and Mexican ornament. One of these items is the naja, a crescent form of Moorish origin. The Spanish conquerors in the Southwest outfitted their horses in elaborate silver ornaments-one of which was the naja that hung directly on the forehead of the horse as a part of the bridle.  Today, it is still seen in both Pueblo and Navajo modern jewelry.

Condition: excellent condition. 

Provenance: this Cochiti Silver Necklace with Naja by Cippy Crazy Horse is from the estate of an Albuquerque couple who were avid collectors of Native American arts and crafts.

Recommended Reading: The Cutting Edge: Contemporary Southwest Jewelry and Metalwork by Diana Pardue

Relative Links: Cochiti Pueblo, Southwest Indian Jewelry, Joe Herrera Quintana, Cipriano Quintana (1946- ) Cippy Crazyhorse