Found this bolo tie locally. As it’s exceedingly rare to find anything like this up here (and it would be my very first bolo), I took the plunge and bought it!
No provenance, as usual, so I’d love to hear your thoughts. Is the turquoise (which contains some little chunks of silvery pyrite) possibly Morenci? Kingman? Other?
The bolo clasp is blank (no “Bennett”) but it does have the word STERLING and the initials “SR”. Hougart 4th edition has Sally Ramone and Sam Roanhorse using those initials, but the pieces I could find online that are attributed to them don’t really resemble this. I tried searching “SR” here on the forum, but it pulled up every instance of an img src as well as every mention of people with “Sr.” in their name So if anyone has an idea who “SR” Is, I’m all ears!
And the big question: Navajo / Native American, or Anglo?
Glad you found this nice bolo!
Thanks for the close-up pictures, I can see the chunks of pyrite. Also, it looks like the stone is a “dilute” (my term) waterweb, as it quite subtle. I’m going with waterweb Morenci as I have a waterweb cab somewhat similar to yours. Of course waterweb Kingman has to be considered. I know of no way to determine the difference. Regardless, it a nice substantial piece of turquoise😊
The SR Hallmark does not look typical of Sam Roanhorse. He sometimes stamps without the Hogan, but the font is totally different from yours.
Maybe someone else on this site might know of another SR…
@chamekke Your plunge paid off, imo. Very nice bolo tie for your first one. I adore pyrite in turquoise. My guess on the turquoise type is water web Kingman. I don’t see scallop borders too often, usually on older pieces like '70s or '80s, but I honestly don’t know its age. Not sure about NA or Anglo made, either. Nothing specific stands out to me to help make an educated guess.
Okay, I’m almost embarrassed now, but I was gonna say Kingman Mostly because I’m not really familiar with Morenci waterweb. I have a few pieces with Morenci, and they look completely different. But we all know that turquoise is tricksy (sorry lapsed into LOTR Gollum talk ) like that! Also I recently read this from Pueblo Direct, so Kingman is always a good guess.
Many years ago (70’s), I worked with a 400 carat Kingman stone that looked just like this, Ziacat. My boss at the time commissioned the bracelet for himself. I haven’t seen much material since that had exactly this look, but I remember that stone very well. it was a huge trapezoid oval which comprised the main setting, on a multicolored Loloma style ear of corn shank. Was quite a stone, and quite a bracelet.
The bolo is a terrific find, Chameke. I’d definitely hang on to this this one
Thank you all for your kind and thoughtful responses, I really appreciate them.
@Bmpdvm , thanks for the tentative identification of the stone as a “dilute” waterweb (good term!) from either Morenci or Kingman. I agree, the Sam Roanhorse mark is totally different! Given how many silversmith/artist marks are not found in Hougart et al., the maker will probably stay unknown. I love the bolo in any case, that’s for sure!
@Patina , I adore pyrite in turquoise, too! Haven’t seen it often in person before. I was thinking how curious it is that matrix and inclusions can be seen either as a visual interruption diminishing the beauty of a turquoise, or something that vastly enhances it. I do love this burst of pyrite, both for its own glittering sake and the fact that it makes the piece unique. A charmingly-shaped birthmark on one’s beloved, so to speak.
And that’s an interesting point about the scallop borders. I’ll probably never know its age or provenance, of course, which is fine. I did wonder about the black blotches of tarnish (not mere patina) on the bolo tips, but that could also be due to how it was worn or stored.
@mmrogers and @Ziacat , I agree with your take that this is likely a Kingman turquoise — for sure the odds alone are in that direction, and then there’s its resemblance to the piece you had previously, @mmrogers — and that it’s the distinctiveness of the stone that makes the piece special. It was certainly what impelled me to buy it. I feel very lucky to have come across it.
@Ziacat , I think Gollumspeak is perfectly appropriate for our collective passion in so many ways. Identification is indeed tricksy, we do get attached to Our Precioussses, and we’re always curious to know what we all have in our pocketses
That’s awesome!! Best comment I have heard about turquoise passion ever! What have we all got in our pocketses (boy, does my phone keep trying to auto correct that)
So if anyone has an idea who “SR” Is, I’m all ears!
(boy, does my phone keep trying to auto correct that)