Hallmarked “Navajo Handmade” and “M. Haley” in bold, misaligned block type, this old Navajo bolo tie features a turquoise stone from either the Royston or Easter Blue mine. The wonderful aspect of the stone is that is graduates in color from top to bottom—very unique. The artisan is unidentified but the attention to detail and the sturdy nature of the bolo indicate a dedication to quality and an adherence to tradition. The stone measures .5” by 3/8” and is severely domed and set in hand cut serrated bezel, with the bezel tines varying slightly and incorporating a coiled wire accent. The 3 feather elements, with their organic curves are chisel chased and the outer edges are worn smooth from use. There are 2 raindrop elements and a beautifully executed flower element topping off the centerpiece. The hand stamping accents are done with I stamp I’ve not seen previously, leading me to believe it is a custom made stamp along the lines of Harry Morgan who used custom stamps almost exclusively to attain his signature look. The stamps are slightly misaligned yet applied by a seasoned hand. There are indications that the lanyard guide has been replaced with a standard Bennett clasp, where once before were old style sterling loops in place for this purpose—a technique used previous to the modern bolo clasp being invented. The bolo measures 2” by 1 7/16” at it’s widest points, the lanyard is 37” long including the sterling tips, it weighs 39 grams and is evenly covered in warm age patina. The leather lanyard may have been replaced as it doesn’t show the age one would expect for an old pawn bolo tie.
This is a very high quality Navajo creation dating to the 1940s in outstanding condition.
