Navajo Sterling Silver Sandcast Bracelet

Harrison Bitsui - Navajo Sterling Silver and Turquoise Antiqued Sandcast Bracelet (ONLY ONE AVAILABLE)
NBT437 $135 plus s/h

Paula says -

"Is this sandcast bird an eagle or a thunderbird, or maybe a peyote bird? We can't decide - but it sure is a comfortable bracelet with a nice blue turquoise cabochon."

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Peyote Bird, Water Bird or Thunderbird?

The Water Bird is a symbol of the renewal of life, rainy seasons, rivers, distant travel, distant vision & wisdom. It is often also referred to as the Peyote Bird because the Water Bird plays a significant part in the Native American Indian Church Peyote meetings and, in fact, since the early 1900's has been the symbol of the NAC.

The Peyote/Water Bird is not a Southwest tradition, but one of the Plains Indians. The Peyote Bird is connected with lightning, thunder and visions. Those who dream of the thunder beings will become Heyokas, those who do things backwards, upside down, or opposite. This is a Lakota way of being. It is part of the medicine of the Heyoka to remind us that we should not take ourselves too seriously - that's why Heyoka is often translated as the "sacred clown".

The Thunderbird is a cross-cultural symbol of the Southwest, Plains and Pacific Northwest tribes as well as in the non-Native world. Much is written about the origin of the symbol and its significance. It has been suggested by some that the symbol was borrowed by Native American artisans from medal dies from the white man. Others claim the Thunderbird has always lived in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. There, carved totem poles are often topped with a Thunderbird with outstretched wings. Looking at a Thunderbird, it is easy to see why it symbolizes power, strength and nobility.

What does Sand Cast mean?

Sand cast items are Indian Hand Made items using a procedure developed by the Navajo silversmiths in the mid 1800s. It is a labor-intensive process that involves many steps.

Using Tufa Stone, a porous rock from volcanic ash, or Sandstone, a harder stone, the artist carves the design of the item being cast. Another flat stone is placed against the carved half of the mold. The halves are fastened together and a sprue hole is carved into one end. Molten silver is poured into the mold using the sprue hole. Once the silver cools, the item is taken out and finished. Bracelets are poured flat and then shaped.

Due to the porous nature of Tufa or Sand Stone, sandcast items will have character marks and imperfections such as small pits. That is the nature of Sand Casting and Indian Hand Made.

Cabochon. A cabochon is a gemstone that has been smoothly shaped and polished as opposed to being cut with flat facets. This usually results in a stone with a rounded convex top and flat bottom. Opaque gems, such as turquoise are often cut as cabochons, while transparent stones such as diamonds are facetted.