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Galaxy Necklace
Boyd Tsosie (Diné (Navajo), born in 1954)
Native American, Navajo [Dine]
2009
Medium/Technique
Coral, turquoise, lapis lazuli, buffalo horn, gold
Dimensions
Length: 68.6 cm (27 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Vicki Howard
Accession Number2021.327
ClassificationsJewelry / Adornment – Necklaces and neck bands
This necklace is an important contemporary addition to our Native American jeweler collection. Boyd is a jeweler who heavily draws on the traditions of his Navajo community. He has been making jewelry since he was 16 years old. Attending Navajo Community College, he studied under Kenneth Begay (1913-1977), who is referred to the "father of modern Navajo jewelry." Begay's work heavily influenced Tsosie's style of jewelry making. His time with Begay resulted in a more modern feel that is reflected in the Galaxy necklace. His jewelry creations were featured in "The New Look in Indian Jewelry" in Arizona Highways, April 1979. He was also included in the exhibit "Jewels of the Southwest" at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe. This necklace is reversible with beautifully worked stones on both sides.
Adding works by Native American artists is an important collection for the departments of Textile and Fashion Arts and the Art of the Americas. This ornament introduces new artists to the collection yet connects deeply to other works of art at the MFA. This necklace demonstrates the passing of traditions among family members. Boyd's necklace exhibits a more stylized approach to the inlay work that Pueblo Santo Domingo is known for, and is different from other examples in the collection. The recently acquired Enuh bracelet by Lyndon Tsosie (2019.2285) similarly embraces a modern taken on mosaic and lapidary arts.
Adding works by Native American artists is an important collection for the departments of Textile and Fashion Arts and the Art of the Americas. This ornament introduces new artists to the collection yet connects deeply to other works of art at the MFA. This necklace demonstrates the passing of traditions among family members. Boyd's necklace exhibits a more stylized approach to the inlay work that Pueblo Santo Domingo is known for, and is different from other examples in the collection. The recently acquired Enuh bracelet by Lyndon Tsosie (2019.2285) similarly embraces a modern taken on mosaic and lapidary arts.
DescriptionMulti-strand necklace with nine stands of primarily coral beads, with some turquoise spacers, suspended from a single turquoise strand with a gold and turquoise clasp. Large trapezoidal pendant with celestial shapes, in coral and turquoise, inlayed into buffalo horn.
Provenance2010, sold by the Indian Craft Shop, Washington, D.C. to Vicki Howard, Arlington, VA; 2021, gift of Howard to the MFA. (Accession date: April 14, 2021)