Hi. Two questions about this Aaron Anderson tufa cast piece. I see this design, and similar, in many Navajo pieces. I wonder, is this design meant to represent a cross? Anderson in his bio says he is a Christian.
Also, any thoughts on the stone? Image search on google hasnt helped much. Thanks! Lin
No that is not a cross, it is a ketoh design. We have a whole thread on these which you might be interested in.The Ketoh: Beauty in utility
And here is a very interesting video on the Twin Rocks Trading Post YouTube channel that discusses the design of it. This is a very highly regarded Trading Post in Bluff, UT, and they work very closely with their Navajo artists.
Beautiful buckle! I don’t really have a guess on the turquoise. Maybe you can contact him and see if he remembers, if he’s got an online presence; I know they sell a lot of his work at Twin Rocks so maybe they would have a way of getting a hold of him.
I’m glad you mentioned about his faith, because I am always on the look for cross pendants. I have a couple that I love, but I wouldn’t mind another one down the road, and I’ll have to check and see if he has made any.
Thanks Zia! I may try to figure out how to contact Anderson.
Mark Sublette: “What is a ketoh (Bow Guard)? Even fans of antique Native American jewelry may not be familiar with them. A ketoh is the Navajo word for bow guard which is a protective wrap for the forearm, designed to protect an archer from the recoil of a bowstring after an arrow is released. Navajo ketohs are comprised of a leather protective band decorated with silver embellishments. While ketohs started as functional items they grew into items worn simply for personal adornment. Old Pawn ketohs may be made with sand-cast (or tufa cast) silver or hand-stamped by pounding the silver into dies. Many versions include inset turquoise.”
You’re welcome! I imagine their number is on their website, but if you can’t find it let me know, and I’ll see if I’ve got it on my receipts from my purchases there.
Ziacat, it looks like Anderson has made a number of crosses. My piece is actually a brooch not a belt buckle.
Oh I like it that it’s a brooch! Can you wear it as a pendant? I have to check on his crosses later, thanks! I’ve spent too much for this year already, so maybe next year 
Just a brooch. I wish it doubled as a pendant.
I looks like Twin Rocks doesnt currently have any of AAs pieces. I might still try to ask about the rock used in this piece. 
Do they tend to be pretty helpful there?
I watched a vid with Anderson saying he always includes some of the original rock when he sells his pieces.
I found a number of his pieces on their site; if you click on Navajo jewelry you have to scroll quite a bit to find them, although a butterfly pin comes up almost immediately. Here’s a cuff I actually almost bought this past spring but it was too big.
Ah, needed to dig deeper. I just did a website search and didnt come up. Thanks!
Beautiful cuff!
Looking through the Twin Rocks offerings I see a ketoh piece identified as Royston that looks similar.
It does have a Royston look. I have a naja with a piece of Montezuma Royston (per the artist), and it looks a bit like this. I learned that the name Montezuma Royston refers to a specific dig site in the Royston mining district.
I really liked the cuff, but it does remind me a bit of the Starship Enterprise
Montezuma Royston.
Sort of space-age. I love the vibrant red of the coral.
