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A sensational Hopi tufa-cast silver inlaid "Corn Maiden" cuff bracelet by Verma “Sonwai” Nequatewa, c. 2005
What an absolutely stellar knockout piece! This is Verma “Sonwai” Nequatewa (b.1949) at her very finest. Verma,
who began making jewelry over 50 years ago in the 1960’s as a very young apprentice to her now world-renowned jewelry artist Uncle, Charles Loloma (1921-1991), is now universally considered to be one of the great master artists of Southwestern jewelry and here is a perfect display of all the many reasons why this is the case.
The bracelet features a very beautifully-textured, tapered and contoured tufa-cast silver shank topped with a strikingly-inlaid stylized Hopi “Corn Maiden” figure done in a lovely palette of fine, top-quality stones including rare Lone Mountain, Nevada spiderweb turquoise, purple gem sugilite, red Mediterranean coral and three 18K gold spacer bars. There is an almost painterly sense of color, texture, form and composition to this bracelet and the level of craftsmanship overall is simply astonishing.
“Charles taught that beauty is all around us on Hopi; in the environment, in the culture, in ceremony. By combining elements from what is a part of my everyday life, the finest of ideas, with the finest of materials, I can interpret a part of Hopi for people to see and wear.”
-Verma Nequatewa
The bracelet measures 1 1/8” in width at the widest point and it tapers down to 3/4” in width at the terminals.
The inner circumference end-to- end is 5 1/2” and the gap between the terminals is 1” for a total interior circumference of 6 1/2”. It weighs a very satisfying, yet completely comfortable, 52 grams or 1 7/8 ounces.
The inlaid “Corn Maiden” panel measures approximately 2 3/4” in length and is just under 3/8” in width at the
widest point. The bracelet is in remarkable, like-new original condition and it is properly signed “Sonwai” with Verma’s hummingbird insignia hand-inscribed on the interior.
This bracelet was originally purchased new directly from Verma Nequatewa at the annual Heard Museum Indian
Fair in Phoenix, Arizona in March of 2005. We acquired it some years later from the original owner through a professional colleague of ours. In October, 2018 The Heard Museum opened a comprehensive retrospective exhibition of Verma Nequatewa's jewelry work. As seen in the photos below, this bracelet was put on prominent display in this exhibition on loan from us to The Heard Museum.
This fine bracelet is all you need to make the perfect elegant Southwestern jewelry statement. It is a classic
and contemporary Native American jewelry piece at the very apex and intersections of art, design, fashion, culture, history, tradition and heritage. A genuine winner all the way around!
Price available upon request
Exhibition History:
Annual Heard Museum Indian Fair, Phoenix, AZ, March, 2005
Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ, "Sonwai, Jewelry Of Verma Nequatewa"
Retrospective Exhibition, October, 2018-March, 2019
At left, this bracelet on display with its exhibit label in The Heard Museum's 2018-19 Sonwai retrospective exhibition, “Sonwai, Jewelry of Verma Nequatewa”. At right, Verma Nequatewa at the exhibition opening in October, 2018.
“Each piece of jewelry is hand-shaped. As with a child, each one is different and requires individual attention. What begins as flat sheet metal or a piece of sandcast is shaped gradually to its final form, allowing for its individual strengths and development. When a piece is completed, it can then go on its own to create joy and happiness in others.”
-Verma Nequatewa