Lakota
Visions - Mitchell Zephier | |||||||||||
About Native American authenticity.
Inside has four directions medicine wheel, feathers and traditional stamping.
| Lakota
Visions - Mitchell Zephier NBT728
- $700 plus
s/h | ||||||||||
Natural badger claw encased in a protective acrylic sheath.
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About Red CoralRed Coral is the common name given to Corallium Rubrum and several related species of marine coral. Red coral is a collection of hundreds of tiny animals living together in a colonies that resemble small leafless bushes growing on dark, rocky seabottom. The coral skeleton is composed hard calcium carbonate, colored in shades of red from pale pink to deep red. It can be semi-translucent to opaque. It is naturally matte, but can be polished to a glassy shine. Red coral is frequently dyed to enhance color and it can also be impregnated with resins or epoxies to fill surface fissures and flaws. Coral jewelry has been found in ancient Egyptian and prehistoric European burials. The Romans believed coral could protect children from harm, as well as cure bites from snakes and scorpions and diagnose diseases by changing colour. Read more . . . |
ABOUT GERMAN SILVERNickel silver, also called German silver, is an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel, but contains no silver. Navajos occasionally used it in place of coin silver and sterling silver, usually in earlier work. This alloy is very hard and does not tarnish like sterling silver and costs much less. Nickel silver was sold in flat sheets and the Navajo originally obtained this metal from their neighbors, the Utes, who worked it in the plains style of metalwork. Mostly tribes of the plains, prairies, and Great Lakes areas worked in nickel silver. Read more about stones. |
Badger SymbolismBadger represents good work ethic, caution, healing and protection. Pueblo tribes associate Badger with the color red and the South guardian of the six directions. |
Lakota Visions - Mitchell Charles Zephier Mitchell Zephier of Rapid City, South Dakota grew up on the Cheyenne River and Rosebud Indian reservations. In 1981 he founded Lakota Visions Traditional Native American Arts, Crafts and Jewelry. He collaborates with fellow Lakota artists and has mentored over 34 apprentices in the arts of metal-smithing and marketing.
Mitch has other forms of artistic expression. His album Cherish the Children won a National Native Music Award for Best Children's Album. Mitchell Zephier's latest venture is to team up with fellow artists to explore, on film this time, the issues that affect the lives of Native Young People in Cloud Horse Production's Lakota 4 Life, a Zephier inspired look at the issues, decisions, responsibilities and opportunities facing Native Youth today. Michell's wife is Roxanne Apple Rosebud. Other family members and friends that work on the jewelry include his son Wakinyan Luta Zephier, Belle Starboy, Webster Two Hawk Jr., and Roger Dale Herron. What is Overlay? With silver overlay, there are two layers of silver - the top layer is a scene, figures, or symbols meticulously cut out and then placed over a solid silver bottom layer. The bottom layer is the background behind the cutouts and is traditionally darkened (oxidized) for contrast. Navajo silversmiths typically leave the background smooth while Hopi usually etch the background with hashmarks. The two layers are “sweated” together - the silver is heated until the two layers meld. The result is a 3-D picture with great depth and interest. |
Mitchell has won numerous awards including first place at Red Earth Show, several
awards at the internationally prestigious Sante Fe Indian Market as well as presented
his work at far off Native American venues like Schimutzun Celebration in Connecticut.
He has also earned the South Dakota Governor's award.