Turquoise and the Indian by Edna Mae Bennett [SOLD]

Turquoise and the Indian

by Edna Mae Bennett

The Swallow Press Inc, Chicago

Hardback with slip cover, Revised edition 1970

From the Jacket

“Reference to turquoise and its uses are in many places—as witnessed by the fine and useful bibliography of this volume.  But it is remarkable that a full treatment of the gem has not been published in more than fifty years. The significance of turquoise in the culture of the Southwestern Indians, and its special place in the marketplace of jewelry collectors, indicates the need for a satisfying treatment of the entire matter.  Turquoise and the Indian fulfills that need admirably—in technical research, in popular account, and in illustration.

“Edna Mae Bennett brings to her subject not only the admiration she shares with so many for turquoise and its uses by the Indians but also the loving care of the lapidary, the concern of the genuine artist, and the interest of a student of anthropology.  Certainly all of these features must be combined in a book which would provide a full view of this subject.

“Mrs. Bennett tells us where turquoise is mined, and where it was mined in earlier days; she tells of the methods of the lapidary; she locates the significance of the gem in the rituals and the myths of the Indians.

“The book is illustrated not only by black and white photos and mps but also by four-color reproductions of some turquoise settings; in addition, she has provided her own black and white decorations of Indian motifs and then, uniquely, color drawings of many turquoise settings.  This wealth of illustration in color as well as black and white enhances a most valuable book.”