Denise Wallace Sterling Silver Dual Mask Earrings [SOLD]

These multi-mask dangle earrings are sterling silver and created in the wonderfully unique style for which Eskimo artist Denise Wallace is known.  This design comes from a mask carved by both Yup’ik and Athabascan natives.  The artist states, “The idea of the woman in the moon reminds us of our sister who became the moon.  My work is a direct reflection on my home, my ancestors, and my connection to the world.”

Screw-back adjustable functionality allow these to be worn by anyone, and the simple yet evocative design makes them wearable for any occasion.  Sterling silver was formed into small, masked faces on the upper portion of the earrings, while the woman in the moon featured larger-than-life dangling below.  One woman in the moon is smiling, while the other is frowning.  Understated and creative, the style and range of emotion represented in these earrings truly make them for all occasions.  

Denise Hottinger was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1957.  She attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM in the late 1970s. Denise, along with her late husband, Samuel Wallace, produced jewelry inspired by her Alaskan Native heritage. The couple had a studio/gallery in Santa Fe, NM for over 20 years and moved to the island of Hawaii in 1999. Their work has been the individual focus of many exhibitions, including the traveling exhibition, Arctic Transformations: The Jewelry of Denise and Samuel Wallace, organized by the Anchorage Museum of History and Art in Anchorage, Alaska.

Condition: they are in excellent condition

Provenance: these Denise Wallace Sterling Silver Duel Mask Earrings arefrom the private collection of a client who lives in Michigan

References: artist’s website

TAGS: Southwest Indian Jewelry, Eskimo, Denise Wallace, Eskimo Jeweler