COLLECTIBLE NATIVE AMERICAN ZUNI HANDMADE STERLING SILVER & TURQUOISE SQUASH BLOSSOM NECKLACE (more information soon). One of the most recognizable artifacts of the Native American Culture. The classic squash blossom necklace features a crescent shaped pendant, called “Naja” (Nah-Hah), the Native American word for crescent. A symbol that was common to many of the earliest civilizations. In the late 1500s and early 1600s, the saddles and bridles of huge muscled horses of the Spanish Conquistadors were fitted with sterling silver crescent-shaped pendants of Moorish origin. For the next 200 years, as the two cultures cycled through various phases of peace and conflict in the struggle for power, the Native Americans adopted and incorporated these and other traditional Spanish ornaments into their jewelry. Early on, the Natives wore the Nah-Hah as an ornament of beauty and these pieces also came to symbolize wealth. Eventually became associated with crop fertility and worn during ceremonies related to the agricultural cycles. It was customary for Medicine men to wear them as well. The necklace measures 28-1/2 long. The naja pendant measures 3″ tall and 2-1/2″ wide. The turquoise settings on the naja measure 1″ long by 5/8″ wide the largest and 1/2″ long and 3/8″ wide the smallest. The necklace has twelve squash blossoms approximately 2-1/8″ long and 3/4″ wide the largest and 1-5/8″ long and 1/2″ wide the smallest. The turquoise settings measure approximately 1-1/4″ long and 11/16″ wide the largest and 11/16″ long and 3/8″ wide the smallest. The handmade beads measure 1/4 in diameter. The necklace is strung on sterling silver fox-tail chain with a hook-eye clasp. Total weight is 180g. Be the proud owner of this elegant handcrafted Native American necklace. Minimal crazing is visible on a few of the turquoise settings, this normally happens when the stones are natural or untreated and dry over time. Not caused by damage, the stones are solid. The item “ZUNI STERLING SILVER & TURQUOISE SQUASH BLOSSOM NECKLACE” is in sale since Friday, August 5, 2016. This item is in the category “Jewelry & Watches\Ethnic, Regional & Tribal\Native American\Necklaces & Pendants”. The seller is “azhistoricaltreasure” and is located in Scottsdale, Arizona. This item can be shipped to United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Norway, Saudi arabia, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia.
- Jewelry Type: Necklaces
- Metal: Sterling Silver
- Metal Purity: .925, Sterling
- Main Stone: Turquoise
- Country of Origin: United States
- Tribal Affiliation: Zuni
- Signed?: Unsigned
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Provenance: Private Collection, Phoenix, AZ