Francis Tabaha, Navajo - Sterling Silver | |||||||||||
The story elements in this fine bracelet are cut out and overlaid on a contrasting black background.
| Francis
Tabaha, Navajo NBS252 - $180 plus s/h | ||||||||||
Paula says - "I acquired a 40-year-old storyteller bracelet that was a simple storyline of a day in the life of a Navajo and his horse. It is such a favorite of mine that we've looked long and hard for something similar to offer in our store. These old style storyteller bracelets are just what we were hoping for."
Paula says - "Modeled after the very vintage style bracelets of 50 years ago and older, Francis Tabaha has made tiny pieces that he has placed along a story line which we can certainly relate to:
"If this is not the story of a horse owner's life, then I don't know what is ! We immediately fell in love with these bracelets. With the oxidized background the silver elements in the scene really pop ! We are offering several bracelets, each with a different scene and edge design so you can choose the one that appeals to you."
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What is Overlay?Native American overlay pieces are made of two layers of sterling silver. The bottom layer is a solid piece while the top layer has a cutout design. The cutout layer is placed over the bottom layer and the two pieces are "sweated" together, heated so that they become one solid piece of sterling silver. The bottom layer, or background, that shows through the cut out portion of the top layer is often darkened for contrast. Hopi silversmiths typically texture the background layer with hash marks while Navajo artists often leave the background smooth. Hopi artists tend to use geometric designs and symbols similar to those used in their pottery and baskets. Navajo silversmiths tend to create scenes depicting everyday life using people, animals, buildings and landscapes to tell a story - this style is called "overlay storyteller jewelry". Read more about overlay here. |
About Silver100% solid silver won't tarnish but it is too soft to use for making jewelry - it could easily be scratched, dented and bent. Sterling silver has a small amount of one or more other metals usually copper, added to the silver. To be called sterling silver, the alloy must contain at least 92.5% pure silver. Sterling silver alloy is harder than pure silver but the added metals also can cause discoloration or tarnish. |
