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A beautiful and most beautifully-crafted contemporary Navajo “Coin-Silver” bangle-style bracelet by Perry Shorty, c. 2015
Perry Shorty (b.1965) is an ultra-traditional, old-style Navajo silversmith in the modern era. He hand makes all of his jewelry in a completely traditional and classic way using solely traditional materials, traditional methods and antique tools and the results are just sensational. This bracelet is just slightly over ten years old but In terms of its appearance, quality and the materials, methods and techniques used to make it, this gorgeous bangle could easily date to well over a century ago, in 1915, instead of in 2015.
Perry Shorty saves his finest efforts for his signature “Coin-Silver” bracelets, like this one, which, as we mentioned earlier, are the genuine old-style deal; they are meticulously hand-fashioned from melted-down vintage American turn-of-the-century silver coins— “Barber” style dimes and quarters as seen below— in the traditional Navajo method using traditional, handmade Navajo tools. Perry pretty much sparked the “revival” of the painstaking and difficult process of using cast-ingot “Coin Silver” to make Navajo jewelry in the early 2000’s. And, at the end of the day, that’s the real reason you get so much appreciation and enjoyment out of owning and wearing these pieces, because Perry puts so much concentrated effort, skill and history into making them.
Above, Perry Shorty giving a silversmithing demonstration at the Hopi Cultural Center, c. 1999.
“I try to keep things simple. The old smiths didn’t have a lot of tools
and materials to work with, and I like doing it their way.”
-Perry Shorty
This bracelet is simply outstanding in its design and craftsmanship. The slightly domed surface of the silver shank perfectly decorated with precise chisel, file and stampwork is simply masterful and the repeating diagonal bands of chisel, file and stamp-worked designs are completely classic and traditionally Navajo yet nicely modern, clean-lined and elegant at the same time. The delicate stampwork decoration all the way around the top and bottom edges of the bracelet is a subtle and particularly lovely additional design touch.
The bracelet measures 5/16” in continuous width along its entire length. Its size is on the small-to-medium side. The inner circumference end-to-end is 5 1/2” and the gap between the terminals is 13/16” for a total interior circumference of 6 5/16”. The bracelet weighs a substantial 34 grams or 1 1/4 ounces which is a nice and solid feeling weight for such a narrow piece. The bracelet is in completely excellent original condition with a few tiny nicks and scratches, the beginnings of a wonderful patina to come which Perry’s coin silver pieces always develop over time. The bracelet is properly signed “P. Shorty” on the interior in Perry’s customary cursive signature and it is also marked “Coin Silver” in the same cursive hand.
Splendid old-style pieces such as these are the reason why Perry’s work sells out almost immediately each
year at Santa Fe Indian Market and at every other show he does. As you will certainly discover should you be fortunate enough to be this bangle’s next owner, it is a completely classic easily wearable everyday masterpiece of beauty, tradition and fine craftsmanship; the kind of “just can’t live without it” piece which could easily become your everyday “go-to”.
Price $2,650
Above center, front and back views of a historic 1908 American "Barber"-style silver dime of the type Perry Shorty uses to make "Coin-Silver" bracelets like this one. It took approximately 16 1/2 of these dimes to make this bracelet.