Zuni attr: FRANK VACIT Thunderbird Mosaic Inlay Bolo Blue Gem Turquoise 1940s

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Zuni attr: FRANK VACIT Thunderbird Mosaic Inlay Bolo Blue Gem Turquoise 1940s:
$329.00

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This is a very fine bolo that is more beautiful in hand than in pictures. The feel and weight of it is just great and it\'s entirely smooth to the touch. It is simple and elegant, low keyed and subdued. The mosaic inlay is so perfect that you cannot feel differences between the pieces of inlay with your fingers. It is lovely.

Identification is inexact but I\'m sure that this is a very early Frank Vacit piece. It\'s typical of the times that it was not signed. The bolo was made in the 1940s or even earlier, using the hand made wires for keepers of the leather tie. In Sei\'s book \"Hopi Bird and Sun Face in Zuni Jewelry\" the author includes many examples of his own pieces, the pieces he chose to personally buy and he mentions his preference for a round eye. He organized this book using the somewhat artificial distinction based on the shape of the eye. I would consider the distinction to be artificial because each of the artists did create eyes of various kinds, as you can see in that very book. He did not include examples of a triangular eye by Frank Vacit, but I\'d suggest that doesn\'t mean that Frank Vacit did not create them. It is the eye that is the only difference between this piece and those numerous examples by Frank Vacit in that book. This piece has the triangular eye but most all the artists made various shaped eyes at one time or another and I\'d suggest that Frank Vacit did, too. We have several examples by him with the same arms and tails and even crest as this piece and the page of the book I copied above shows many of those similarities. There are no examples in the book of the larger triangular eye by Frank Vacit. Still, I believe this is his work.

This bolo has a braided wire decoration above the shoulders and wings and above the crest and no raindrop decorations as you can see in the examples in the book copied above. The work on this piece is impeccable and really lovely in hand. The artist used orange spondylus shell, mother of pearl, jet and turquoise. The tie is a brown color which looks good with this piece and the tips are hand made and very nice. The leather tie shows some wear. It looks worse in the magnified pictures than in person. In person it looks fine and does not have the mottled look you see in the magnified pictures. The tie does appear to be quite useful, still. The wear you see in the pictures isn\'t noticeable in person but the tie was stiff and I\'ve applied a leather conditioner to help soften it. So it is soft now. The bolo is a small size and the tie and tips are a little smaller than usual, too. The bolo is 1-1/2\" high and 1\"wide. The tips are 1-5/8\" high and the tie end to end including the tips is 34\" long.This is a high quality piece, above average in every respect, a great collector\'s item and delightful to wear.

Frank Vacit was born in 1915, lived till 1999 and worked from the 1930s. He was one of the most talented and great artists in Zuni history. His work resides in the best galleries and museums and he is discussed in every major work. His pieces fetch the highest prices, justifiably. This appears to be an early piece of his and a lovely example so it makes a great collector\'s piece while still is fun to wear.

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Please email with any questions. Thank you for looking. Everything I sell comes from my personal collection or is something that I would include in my personal collection. I vet every item carefully for quality and condition, and offer you only the best. I want you to be able to rely on me for top quality, superb items that are often unique and rare examples of old antique vintage southwest, indian, native american and fine gold and gemstones, whether you\'re starting a collection or adding to one, or want something great to wear. My goal is that all my buyers are delighted, that my special pieces find the right homes, and I\'ll strive to make that so.

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