It’s pretty hard to see, but the sterling work is done by folding/layering and soldering very thin strips of sterling, as many as 10 layers in places. This is unheard of and was more than likely done due to the lack of materials that would have been more suited to the task—in the past it has been difficult for Native American artisans to afford proper materials and they often make do with what they had on hand. This is evident in many works from the Santo Domingo Pueblo in the 1930s, in which the artisans used 78 RPM records and slices of car battery casings as backings for their overlay work. This beautifully designed and painstakingly executed inlay roadrunner pin is an amazing example of “getting the job done” with ingenuity and quite a bit of tenacity. The inlays are done in turquoise, coral, jet, mother of pearl and rare shell. The roadrunner’s comb is hand carved and there is no use of filler anywhere on the pin—each stone was cut to perfection and fits it’s channel with no gaps. The pin measures 2.75” by 2” at it’s widest points and it weighs 15 grams. The pin mechanism has been replaced as is indicated by the newer solder points attaching it to the pin. There are a lot of roadrunner pins around, but not like this one—very unique design and the construction method has not been previously observed by myself. Impressive. Excellent condition with considerable age patina. No artisan hallmark, tests positive for sterling.
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