This lovely Kewa (Santo
Domingo) inlaid shell is a sizeable work of art. The pendant is attractively
divided into four sections by decorative brass and silver ribbon strips. The sections
feature small chip turquoise, larger square cut clam shell, mother of pearl
shell and black jet. Each piece is set in a mosaic design. It hangs from olive
shell Heishi and small silver beads.
The shell measures 4” by 3 ¾”. With the Heishi measuring a total
of 20”. Not hallmarked, but beautifully crafted by a seasoned artist. Really
pretty on!
Shell
mosaic is a trademark style of Santo Domingo jewelry, drawing on a tradition
dating back centuries. Many modern Pueblo artists will often style their inlaid
jewelry after designs and patterns unearthed by archaeological research, found
in rock art or on display in museums. Much Santo Domingo jewelry is
strikingly similar to Ancestral Pueblo, or Anasazi, jewelry unearthed at Chaco
Canyon and Mesa Verde's—some of it more than a thousand years old.