Pair of Pueblo Earrings With Shell And Inlay Turquoise

Item: 1638

Origin: Pueblo
Date: Historic – unknown age

Media: Shell, turquoise

Dimensions: .75″ by .75″ (shell only)

Description: These sweet earrings are a rare find.  The patina to them, smooth and well worn, shows an early date.  The small piece of round turquoise has been inlaid into the shell with pinon pitch. A hole has been drilled in the top of each piece.  The hide going through the earring hides the hole.   The hide has a single blue, glass bead to secure it on the shell. I imagine that the original use had a metal ring going through the hole to attach to the ear.

Provenance: A private collection in Albuquerque.  These were collected in the 1960s and it’s thought that these would have come out of the Zuni Pueblo.

Condition:  Condition is original without restoration.

Price: 1200