Materials for the creation of this cuff are ingot sterling silver, hand milled into sheet and drawn wire and AAA highgrade natural deep blue to blue green turquoise from the Lone Mountain mine in Nevada.
One can see the mill roller striations along the inside of the shank low dome half round wire. Silver sheet, to support the central cluster and the "fan" on each side, was carefully cut to create a lacework back for 120 bezels with finely serrated edges, 1 and 2 millimiter raindrops, rope twist and single wire ornamentation.
With except of a large central cluster circle of 29 round stones, each approximately 5 mm or 3/16" in diameter, the remainder are elongated, slender cuts the size of fine rice.
Caroline Waikaniwa cut and set each piece by hand in a radianet outward facing arrangement of what appears to be opening blossoms!
This bracelet is full of joy and life. The art form and its beauty completely obfuscate the slightest thought of the engineering and structural skills Caroline possessed to make it possible.
| Description | Materials for the creation of this cuff are ingot sterling silver, hand milled into sheet and drawn wire and AAA highgrade natural deep blue to blue green turquoise from the Lone Mountain mine in Nevada. One can see the mill roller striations along the inside of the shank low dome half round wire. Silver sheet, to support the central cluster and the "fan" on each side, was carefully cut to create a lacework back for 120 bezels with finely serrated edges, 1 and 2 millimiter raindrops, rope twist and single wire ornamentation. With except of a large central cluster circle of 29 round stones, each approximately 5 mm or 3/16" in diameter, the remainder are elongated, slender cuts the size of fine rice. Caroline Waikaniwa cut and set each piece by hand in a radianet outward facing arrangement of what appears to be opening blossoms! This bracelet is full of joy and life. The art form and its beauty completely obfuscate the slightest thought of the engineering and structural skills Caroline possessed to make it possible. |
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| About the Artist | 20th century Zuni jeweler. To date this talented artisan has no known maker's mark. Arizona Highways issue January 1974 gave the entire page 22 to Waikaniwa's stunning squash blossom necklace and matching pendant earrings. |
| Culture | American Indian, Women Artists, Zuni |
| Medium | Sterling silver and natural turquoise |
| Troy ounces | 2.92 troy ounces |
| Size | Cuff inside end to end is 5 7/8". Gap is 1 1/2" = 7 3/8" total interior. Center 3 1/5" tapering to 5/8" at each terminal |
| Signed | No |
| Date of creation | 1960's-1970's |
| Condition | Excellent |
| Turquoise | Natural deep blue turquoise |
| Provenance | B Sch |
| Gram weight | 83.0 grams |