Silver necklace with 10 Squash Blossoms and a Naja set with Blue Turquoise

Sterling silver ingot, mill rolled into sheet and hand drawn wire, was used in fabrication of this pleasing necklace and all of its 52 stamp decorated beads.  Another 10 beads were made to form the body of each squash blossom. 

The same radiant crescent stamp is evident on these blossoms and their petals as well as the outer curved of the double carinated wire naja.  A rope twist of silver round wire fills the center valley of the naja cracent and smaller round wire fills the center valley of the naja crescent and smaller round wire rope twists frame the round bezel set turquoise terminals and a matching pear-shaped turquoise centered at the top of the inside arch.  This setting is soldered to a tongue of sheet silver, which also serves as a bale.

Nothing is out of place nor does not purposefully tie in the overall design and structure of Maggie's brilliant execution.  Simple, but not, this is a "just right" creation holding its own with quiet beauty.  Neither an addition or a subtraction could improve its visual balance.

Active from the 1930's forward, Bitsui (also Bitsuie) was known for silver stampwork on her beads. The step-daughter of Charlie Bitsui, her work was in the C.G. Wallace collection.

Maggie is referenced in Gregory Schaaf's book American Indian Jewelry I 1,200 Artist Biographies.

Maggie lives in her work, as she made wonderful beads with which jewelers strung their squash blossom necklaces.  She was still coming into the White Hogan, with treasures she had made until the late 1970's.