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Lee Yazzie Navajo Turquoise Leather and Sterling Silver Bolo 1981

About the Item

A New Lander/Royal Web turquoise, leather, and sterling silver bolo tie, by master jeweler Lee Yazzie (Navajo), 1981 - 1982. The turquoise and silver slide feature measures 2.97" x 2.77". Bolo cord is 44" long. Sterling silver finials measure 2.50" x 0.59". Exhibited at Smithsonian Institution exhibition "Glittering World" in 2014 and in the accompanying book by Lois Sher. Dubin. as a belt buckle. The substantial turquoise forms the centerpiece of this bolo. It's origins lie in the mine discovered by fourth generation trading family heir and jewelry dealer, Joe Tanner and his partners. They discovered the New Lander mine, also known as the Royal Web mine, in Crescent Valley, Nevada in the early 1980s. The mine produced some of the finest variscite discovered in Nevada. Navajo jeweler, Lee Yazzie's (b. 1946 - ) work is filled with visual joy and beauty. The thoughtfulness behind his pieces imbues a human presence filled with deep connections to his heritage. Lee is one of thirteen siblings, many of whom are also jewelers, including his famous brother Raymond, making the Yazzie family one of the most celebrated makers of Native American jewelry. In 2014, the national Smithsonian Institution held an exhibition devoted only to the production of the Yazzie family pieces - over 300 pieces. The exhibition included this bolo which was transformed from a belt buckle by the artist. In the book "Glittering World: Navajo Jewelry of the Yazzie Family," which accompanied the exhibition, by Lois Sherr Dubin. Yazzie explains how he took his inspiration for this piece from the Royal Web turquoise. "It is the beginning of when I learned how to do texture. There is always a design floating out there, we just need to find a way to harness it. I always like to put a border, to capture a design. But here I start remembering what Joe (Tanner) told me - that the sky is the limit. It demonstrates to me that the design has the potential to expand. The simplicity of the design, the introduction of those forms dancing around the stone, gives celebration to life, and that is what I like to document."

Creator:

Lee Yazzie

Metal:

Sterling Silver

Stone:

Turquoise

Stone Cut:

Cabochon

Weight:

123.39 g

Dimensions:

Width: 2.77 in (70.36 mm)Length: 44 in (1,117.6 mm)