Native American jewellery of the Southwestern United States in its classic union of white metal and blue turquoise is an iconic form and the focus of this strikingly illustrated new publication. Internationally recognized and locally significant, Native American jewellery has a compelling history whi ch represents the persistence of tradition while encapsulating the vitality of Native American communities and the continuously transforming nature of their contemporary artistic practice. As a traditional item of adornment it can be understood through the complex histories of making and the development of locally important styles and materials. Situating jewellery in the cultural economy of the American Southwest , this publication explores Southwestern jewellery as a decorative form in constant transitio n. It describes this rich tradition as subject to a number of desires, fostered and regulated, at different times, by government agencies, individual entrepreneurs, traders, curators and Native American communities. It presents a series of perspectives on Southwest Native American jewellery and explores questions relating to Native American jewellerys identity as craft, material culture, commodity and adornment.
