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Split shank provides a wide area to attach the base and stone inlay.
How to Choose and Fit a Cuff Bracelet
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Vintage Sterling
Silver | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Paula says - "This vintage knifewing bracelet is in excellent condition and has beautiful stamping all the way to the ends. A real treasure. The fact that red abalone is used indicates this item is quite old. "Are you wondering why this item is not described as Native American? You can find the answer by clicking here."
Fully stamped band.
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Who is Knifewing?Knifewing, also Knife Wing, is a half man - half eagle Zuni spirit or god with razor sharp feathers made of flint. He is the ultimate warrior. Anthropologist Frank Hamilton Cushing, who lived with the Zunis from 1879-1884 described knifewing this way: "This curious god is the hero of hundreds of folklore tales, the tutelary deity of several societies of Zuni. He is represented as possessing a human form, furnished with flint knife-feathered pinions, and tail. His dress consists of the conventional terraced cap (representative of his dwelling place among the clouds). His weapons are the Great Flint-Knife of War, the Bow of the Skies (the Rainbow), and the Arrow of Lightning. His guardians or warriors are the Great Mountain Lion of the North and that of the upper regions. He was doubtless the original War God of the Zunis." Horace Iule (also known for his crosses) is credited with creating the first knifewing design in the late 1920s, cut and filed out of wrought silver. Afterwards, other Zuni, Navajo and Pueblo began producing knifewing designs. The knifewing became one of the first designs that the Zuni inlaid with stones. Split Shank, Pretty Girl, and Wire BraceletsAll
three of these types of bracelets – split shank, pretty girl, and wire bracelets,
are traditional Navajo and Zuni bracelet forms and all are open and airy making
for comfortable summer wearing. The open spaces allow for ventilation, thus making
the bracelets more comfortable to wear in hot and humid weather. |
NOTE:
Items in our Vintage Shop are either USED or NEW. They might come from inheritances,
estate sales, private collections, and store liquidations. Many items are brand
new (NOS, New Old Stock) and in perfect condition while others may show tarnish,
scratches and other signs of use. Major issues will be described in detail and
shown in photos. Vintage Shop items are sold as described and are not returnable. |
