This is a beautiful and early Navajo ketoh complete with its original commercial hide bracelet. The gauge of the silver is heavy and likely formed from ingot or coin. The center stone is turquoise, likely an imported cabochon with wonderful color and texture. Four leaves radiate out from the stone done is repousse and are […]
9 silver conchos make up this belt, plus a buckle in the same style but slightly larger. There are no hallmarks. The stamp work is well done and consistent. This belt is large enough to be seen, but small enough to make it easy to wear.
This is one of the finest Kiowa strike a light bags that I have seen. The front design is bold and powerful – a simple tower built by steps of white, deep blue, and burgundy beads all set on a lighter blue background. The sides are trimmed with white beads. The back is beaded on […]
This Apache water jug is complete with a wood stopper and a cup cut from a gourd. The stopper is attached to the basket via a metal chain. There is a commercial hide strap for putting the whole thing over ones shoulder. It’s rare to find such an early basket with all the parts in […]
This is a rare and unusual Navajo silver ketoh or wrist guard on commercial hide. The design is centered with a green, turquoise stone bezeled in silver. From this center point radiates 8 projections like rays on a sun. Each projection is similar to the other, with punched marks moving up to its end. The […]
This is a classic Kiowa strike-A-Lite bag with all the right bead colors. Deep, wine red beads make up the background with sky blue and white beads creating the vertical designs. The flap is beaded with the same colors, and then the back bottom portion has all three colors again. The flap and the bottom […]
This is a beautiful Navajo first phase concho belt. I like both the early look in the patina and as well the smaller size of the conchos. Each concho is 3 1/8″ long and 2 3/4″ wide and there are nine of them. The belt wears well for me, and I’m a size 34″ waist. […]
This hunting bag was made with early commercial hide. I would date this to the second half of the 19th century. It has one opening within the hide and then a second bag opening for holding game where the crochet netting is. The netting appears to have been woven with linen. There is a shoulder […]
There are 11 light blue glass beaded loops all attached to commercial hide with brass tacks. At this joinery a piece of hide is attached as side fringe. The middle of each loop has 7 French brass beads. The glass beads are attached with two parallel strands of sinew. The core of the loops appears […]
This is a beautiful and early Navajo saddle. It is complete with the stirrups and the other saddle parts. The core of the saddle is wood covered with (likely) brain tanned hide similar to how the earlier Plains saddles were made. On top of this are then the layers of visible, commercial hide. The perimeter […]
