Birds, birds, and more birds

Love those bird pins. I love turquoise and other stones incorporated into overlay.

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Me too, @nanc9354, her birds are beautiful; I’m coveting yours and OO’s! I have an overlay cuff with a turquoise stone that I’ll post sometime. It has a very interesting story.

Sharing these since they’re new purchases. I don’t have much in the way of either Zuni or Hopi jewelry. I’m trying to add a few of those pieces to my NA collection. The bola tie thunderbird is a big guy - 2.75" in length by 2" at its widest. The pin/brooch is 2.25" in length and 2" at its widest. The bola thunderbird is hallmarked “J T Zuni, N.M.” for Joanita Tsalate, Zuni. (The hallmark is in a faint, etched script which didn’t photograph well.) The pin has no hallmarks, not even for metal purity. Funny thing is the black inlay looks like jet (in the shade). In full sunlight, it’s that reddish/brownish shell that looks like tortoiseshell but, most likely isn’t. The bola has my favorite shell inlay: gold lip mother-of-pearI. I’m guessing that these were “blank” thunderbirds that could be purchased at a NA jewelry supply store. The individual then finished the piece with the shell inlay of their choice. Is that a likely scenario for these types of thunderbirds? There’s no damage to the bola tie shell inlay on the feathers - just a lighting mishap.

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Love these so much!! Years ago I had a cute little Thunderbird ring that looked a lot like your pieces, although not nearly as nice. But the band got smushed (made it too small for me to wear), so I gave it to one of my nieces. I know I’ve said it on here before, but this type of Thunderbird reminds me of a Pileated Woodpecker :grin:, especially when some of them have red in the head/neck area.

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Two that flew the coop (couldn’t resist :smile:): an unusual vintage Kewa bolo of the Depression battery type but possibly later, like 1950s, and a Blue Gem flush inlay knifewing pin most likely by Lee Edaakie.


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Beautiful! The Blue Gem looks like the blue of Lake Michigan. The battery bird is very graceful; they usually look more geometric and blocky; the lines on this one flow.

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Oooh the swoop of the wings on the Battery Bird Bolo!!! Lovely!

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Got this little fella today (my first bird item):

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I like your little peyote (Anhinga or Cormorant as I like to think of them :grin:) bird! Looks like Navajo chip inlay. He fits right in nicely with our other chip inlay birds on the thread. I couldn’t find your hallmark, but single letters are sometimes hard to place. Is the hallmark just a single P?

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Hi @Ziacat thanks for your kind response. It looks like the hallmark is indeed just a P, i searched around for a bit but realized that it won’t be easy to try to identify the artist. So i abandoned the search, but i’m very happy with the pin regardless (:slight_smile:

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other brothers exist

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Thanks @Steve , that is very cool to see!

I almost forgot that I have a “bird” to post! Here is a silver Vintage Thunderbird tie tack I repurposed into a pendant, then made the necklace strung with Lapis & Sodalite beads! I was counting my lucky stars as I bent the straight stick pin without breaking it! :sweat_smile:

Update: I’ve just been told that this bird is a Peyote Bird and not a Thunderbird as I had previously thought! Love how I learn so much here! TY all!!!

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It’s beautiful! I also love the beads you strung it on. His swinging tail is unusual. So cool!

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Thank you so much I appreciate the compliment and also agree with you that the swinging tail is so unique!

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Very creative @Appaloosamoon .

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I just acquired another bird…by C. Dishta. Cute little thing. And I bought this little Katchina pendant.

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I really like your new pieces. Been eyeballing katsina pendants myself.

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I love your exuberant little bird (roadrunner?). It seems to be side-eyeing that copper penny as though it’s the hot desert sun.

(Is the kachina pendant signed? Looks like the style of Orville Manygoats.)

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Thank you. The kachina has a C or O hallmark. I do not know who that could be.

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