Small Navajo Silver Necklace with Naja and Bench Beads

Navajo

Circa 1920 | Silver | Item 2573

This is a beatiful and petite Navajo, silver necklace. It is early and likely dates to the 1920s. The small bench beads are relatively heavy for their small size, and they are wonderfully stamped with a radiating pattern. The naja is a doulbe layered horseshoe connected with a central spin and ending with balls. The silver shows a wonderful, aged patina.

It has been considered that this might have been made originally for a Navajo boy. Its small size, the high quality of craftsmanship, and the simplistic form without any additions other than the single naja suggests the adornment for a young boy.