@chicfarmer I looked at several before deciding on this one. Just take your time and you’ll know when it is the right one.
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I especially love the box bow with the old black spiderweb # eight. I’ll add my box bow the the mix soon, but yours has better turquoise (in my opinion!). I’m still looking for a nice older # eight piece. I have some that could be, but none with the actual verification.
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Indefinitely!!! Quite some time we did go out with a Navajo…wonderful, but there is something about that trail down into the canyon that calls to me; around every corner more gorgeous red rock and vistas. Hope the indefinitely may change in the future!
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Have you been to Shiprock? That is another location I would like to experience with proper permits.
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We’ve driven by it many times, and pulled over on the side of the road to get some better pics, but never gotten permits to hike.
We were last by there in '21. This pic is just over the Colorado border on the Ute reservation just beyond Shiprock. We were on our way to Mesa Verde. Sorry this isn’t Shiprock, but I love the photo!
Back to the squash blossoms, are they really heavy to wear?
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@Ziacat The very earliest ones, for indigenous use, were very heavy, in all silver or just a few set stones. Not many of those come on the market. Weight was one of the main attractions of the box bow squash necklaces when they emerged ca. 1940s: much lighter weight. Some vintage squashes are lighter because they were made for children/youth. And some were just smaller scale, even occasionally a really early one. I had to work a long time to find an excellent oldie that was light enough for me.
Later production necklaces, the kind we mostly see available for sale, range in weight, so it helps if you know the gram weight you can manage.
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Amazing photo @Ziacat. Thank you for sharing.
My squash blossoms are in the 100g range. Not too heavy in my opinion.
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I simply LOVE your boxbow squashblossom. I’ll post mine soon, wanta trade?…
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Fabulous photo, perfect with the clouds, could easily be a painting😊
I love heavy squash blossoms…they hang so much better. All mine are 200+ gms.
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Guess you could say I’m a squashblossom hoarded, I have quite a few. I’m posting some of the ones I haven’t yet shared. I tend to like he ones without a lot of turquoise, and am really attracted to the heavier ones. Unfortionarely I don’t have a good oldies like @chickfarmer mentioned.
There first three are all very different, and represent a variety of styles:
The one on the left is quite simple but is heavy and has hand stamped beads and blossoms. It has a nice black spiderweb No 8ish cab that I’ve wondered about…
The middle one has heavy stamped beads and hangs great under a cowl neck sweater or collared shirt.
Then finally my one boxbow.
This one I picked up in Taos years ago. It’s ca 1960 but was shined-new when purchased. The gallery owner had several NOS pieces, all the same era, all with the 1960ish prices on them. My friend and I both bought one for a very reasonable price. I’ve always wondered if these could have been an anglo(hippie?) made, but regardless it’s a nice well made piece.
And lastly a great old Naja-tab style “squash-blossom”
So, being honest I very rarely wear any of these, but I just love the form and variety of styles. I have another squash blossom that I love and do wear on occasion.
But thanks for this post, it was fun pulling these out of their boxes and remembering them all.
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Those are fabulous. However…I’m loving the pottery in the middle pic; reminds me of some Robert Tenorio pieces I have seen.
Good eye @Ziacat , it is Robert’s. I have a number of pieces of his, many purchased from his at his home. Such a nice man, he did several pottery firings for a small group I traveled with in the southwest. This is a picture at Robert’s home when I purchased that piece; he had walls of his personal pottery! He looks so young; ‘course so do I!!!
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What a great picture! I’m sure you look exactly the same now, amiright 
? But you need to be wearing one of your fab squashes in the photo 
I’ve looked at a lot of his pottery online, because the first piece of pottery we ever bought was a large Santo Domingo bowl signed Vicky Tenorio. I imagine that’s a rather common name, but I’ve always wondered if they are related.
We keep saying we have no room for any more rugs, but I asked my hubby what he thought about looking for another piece of pottery when we head out west, and he liked that idea…but that lowers the jewelry budget… definitely would rule out a nice squash
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Wow, that last multiple naja squash is amazing! Thank you for sharing them.
My latest squash acquisition is strung on, for lack of the correct term, “string”. Do you all have any like this? If so, do you wear them or store them away?
The squash I posted above is strung on string &
I wear it.
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As I recall, now that they are all put away, mine are all on a light chain. I no that sometimes nylon waxed cord was used. I have several turquoise tab necklaces that are strung on string…I’m always worried about breaking at a worn point, with both chain and cord, but so far so good. I think currently restringing with foxtail is common. I’d also suggest storing them flat: excessive movement of beads can cause wear to the cord.
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I sure appreciate your input on this. How do you store them flat? Any special container?
We have a reservation to take this tour, which also includes Canyon del Muerto, on August 17th. Can’t wait!
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. 
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