Zuni Mosaic Inlay Pictorial Squash Blossom Necklace

Annie Gasper's Zuni Pueblo Creation:

The Jet-Adorned, Sun-Faced Squash Blossom Necklace

This stunning squash blossom necklace, light in weight, was made by Annie Gasper of Zuni Pueblo. Annie successfully chose to use jet for most of the necklace, then selected coral, turquoise, and mother of pearl to fashion the sun face emblem that adorns each blossom and the naja (see definition and image below).

There are twelve blossoms attached to the double strand of silver beads, each of which has a sun face surrounded by jet gemstones. The naja consists of a circle of jet gemstones inlaid within silver and crowned with a sun face like the others.

The necklace continues as a single strand of silver beads that are capped with curved silver cones and a handmade clasp. The naja is stamped with the artist's name.

Annie Quam Gasper (1927-2002) was a student of Zuni silversmith Horace Iule where she learned how to create sandcast jewelry. She went on to learn the art of channel inlay, needlepoint jewelry, and fetish making. She was the recipient of multiple awards including the Grand Prize at the Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial, Gallup, NM, as well as First Place at the New Mexico State Fair. Her work is featured in multiple publications including the book Zuni Jewelry by Theda Bassman.

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.  See a close-up of the naja below.

Condition: new condition

Provenance: this Zuni Mosaic Inlay Pictorial Squash Blossom Necklace is from the collection of a client from California

Reference: American Indian Jewelry I 1,200 Artist Biographies by Gregory and Angie Schaaf.

TAGS: Zuni Pueblo, Southwest Indian Jewelry, Horace Iule, Ellen Quandelacy, Annie Gasper