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A unique Modernist-style Navajo tufa-cast
silver and high-grade Nevada turquoise bracelet by Jack Adakai, c. 1950-60
One of the better kept artistic secrets of the 20th century Southwest is the extremely talented Navajo silversmith, Jack Adakai (active 1950’s to 1981) who is well-known among connoisseurs of fine traditional Navajo jewelry, but is not a household name in the sense of Charles Loloma or Kenneth Begay or his former apprentice and now International Navajo jewelry rockstar, McKee Platero. Adakai lived and worked quietly in the pre-internet, pre-social media age in the Gallup area of far western New Mexico near the Arizona border. He worked at various times for the various prominent trading companies in the area; C.G. Wallace, Tobe Turpen, M.L. Woodard and also worked with the Foutz trading family
of Farmington and Shiprock, New Mexico.
Adakai’s work is characterized by its excellent and complete mastery of all traditional Navajo silversmithing techniques, such as tufa-casting, fabrication, stamp, chisel and file work. In addition to his own formidable silversmithing abilities, Adakai was also an excellent teacher and mentor in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s to his young clan nephew who is the now world-renowned Navajo silversmith, McKee Platero. Jack Adakai is also the father and teacher of the well-known and well-regarded contemporary Navajo silversmith, Ray Adakai. This wonderful and special bracelet is a particularly fine example of Jack Adakai’s exalted capabilities as witnessed by the elaborate, artistically and technically superb work in evidence. The silver tufa-casting of the body of the bracelet here is simply superb, conveying the ideal combination of delicacy and strength. The swoopingly Modernist split-silver shank is beautifully cast in an elongated horizontally oriented diamond shape and is beautifully bisected across the middle by a row of five beautiful blue turquoise stones
all set in finely-scalloped silver bezels.
It’s a masterful and exciting composition with a lot of dynamic motion and visual excitement. The beautifully-matched, lightly matrixed high-grade turquoise stones appear to be from the famed Blue Diamond Mine in Nevada with its distinctive dark grey/black matrix. The row of stones and their serrated bezels are accented along the top and bottom by two rows of four applied silver “raindrops”. The bracelet’s terminals are also beautifully formed in an outwardly spreading three-part triangularly-shaped "wing" configuration by the tufa casting of the silver shank. The bracelet’s unique and complex overall Modern design makes a particularly stunning visual impression like the instant “WOW” factor you find
in the cool swooping design impression made by a ’57 Chevy or Ford T-Bird if you will.
It is quite possible from its completely distinctive and Modernist almost Space Age/Jetson’s style sort of appearance that this bracelet might very possibly have been made on commission as a special piece intended for a special someone. Possibly renowned Zuni Indian trader, C.G. Wallace ordered it from Adakai for a special client of his or possibly it was one of the other prominent Gallup, NM traders who regularly worked with Adakai, such as Tobe Turpen or M.L. Woodard. The trader would have most likely provided Adakai with the excellent high grades turquoise stones as well.
The bracelet measures 2" in width at its widest center point, tapers down dramatically to 1/2" in width along the
shank and then nicely and even more dramatically flares out to 1” in width at the terminal ends. The bracelet’s inner circumference end-to-end is 5 1/4" and the gap between the terminals is 1 1/8" for a total interior circumference of
6 3/8". The bracelet weighs a very comfortable and easily wearable 70 grams or 2 1/2 ounces and it is in completely excellent original vintage condition with some age-appropriate wear and a nice mellow patina. The bracelet is properly signed on the interior with Jack Adakai’s customary capital letters initials "J.A." hallmark insignia.
This bracelet is an extremely attractive and most beautifully-crafted special piece possibly made for a special
someone. Perhaps yourself, or your loved one will be the next special someone to have it. No matter which of you
it might be, you will both enjoy having this most precious prize piece.
Price $2,750
