Carol
and Wilson Begay, Navajo - Sterling Silver | |||||||||
Tufa cast and hand stamped sterling silver.
Supple and durable leather 4" tall. Using holes as shown it will fit an 8 1/4" wrist or arm but you can adjust the fit per Paula's comments for a larger wrist by leaving a gap where the ends meet. For a smaller wrist you can punch new holes and trim the leather to fit as small as a 5 1/2" wrist. | |||||||||
Paula says - "Ketohs are very adjustable. You can punch more holes in the leather to make the cuff smaller and then either overlap the leather or cut off the excess. To make the cuff larger you can use the laces provide to open up the cuff or you can add longer laces if necessary. "We use the term "wrist" when talking about size but since ketohs are so wide, they actually fit up onto the lower portion of the forearm, so you will need to take that into consideration when deciding on a ketoh size to fit you."
The above photos of similar ketohs on a man's wrist shows two of the ways this type of leather cuff can be worn.
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What is a Bow Guard or Ketoh?The bow guard originated as a heavy wrist band used to protect an archer's arm from the snap of the bow string. At first it was a plain thick leather strap. Later other stiff materials such as metal were added. Navajo began making bow guards are early as 1895. The Navajo bow guard is called a ketoh. It consists of a metal plate affixed to a leather wrist or arm piece. Today decorated ketohs
and Plains Indian beaded wrist guards are worn mainly for ceremonial and social
occasions, including dancing at pow wows. There has been a recent surge in popularity
of bow guards as a jewelry item for both men and women. |
What does Tufa Cast mean?Tufa cast, or 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 tuff stone, a porous rock from volcanic ash, tufa stone, a porous limestone that forms near hot springs, 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. Read more . . . |
ABOUT TURQUOISE Turquoise is associated with the sky,
and bringing sky energy to earth. It is known as a master healer stone as it is
believed to help speed the healing process. It is also thought that turquoise
can help promote honest and clear communication from the heart. |
