Navajo Squash Blossom First Phase Period Necklace

ca. 1900

14" L x .5625" D + 1.5" Blossoms 27" + 2.25" Drop

Hand Crafted from Sterling Silver with Beads and Cordage with a Double Naja Pendant with Two Turquoise Stones and Rope Wrapped Backing

Estate item whose owner had Inherited from family who had "visited the Southwest in the 1920s". 

In Very Good Condition
 
This remarkable necklace may be attributable to the early silverwork of Slender Maker of Silver or one of the ten smiths who worked under him. Widely regarded as the first great master among Navajo silversmiths, Slender Maker was active from the 1870s into the 1910s (d. 1916). He was the father of the renowned silversmith Fred Peshlakai, who learned the craft from his father and later became a master in his own right.The necklace is a classic squash blossom design featuring first-phase craftsmanship in ingot silver. At its center is a finely executed sand-cast naja set with two turquoise stones. The piece remains in excellent condition and appears to retain its original three strands of cloth string or cord.