Silver and Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace with Tufa Cast Naja [R]

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.

The Navajo incorporated the naja in their jewelry as a pendant dangling on silver necklaces, commonly called squash blossom necklaces. In this instance, a beautiful cast silver naja with a pair of blossoms curving around a fleur de lis and capped with a beautiful blue turquoise cab is suspended from a string of handmade silver beads.  The naja was formed by tufa casting, then the turquoise cab was added. 

There are 14 silver blossoms and 60 silver beads that were formed as hemispheres and then soldered together to form spheres (see below for detail image).  The necklace has silver cones at each end and each of the cones has a saguaro cactus stamped into the silver (see above for detail image).  This could be the hallmark of the maker or could be just a decorative touch.

Condition: this Silver and Turquoise Squash Blossom Necklace with Tufa Cast Naja is in excellent condition

Provenance: from the collection of a family from Santa Fe

Suggested Reading:   FINE INDIAN JEWELRY OF THE SOUTHWEST: The Millicent Rogers Museum Collection by Shelby Tisdale, Ph.D.