IF YOU LOVE SETS,PLEASE ZOOM IN ON THE LAST 3 PHOTOS,WHERE YOU’LL FIND THE HOHOKAM “FROG/TADPOLE” NECKLACE! (SOLD SEPARATELY) THIS NECKLACE CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE ‘NECKLACE 2’ CATEGORY!! WOULD MAKE THE PERFCT SET!

ABOUT THE HOHOKAM PEOPLE:

Unless you’re familiar with every American Native tribe throughout the southwest, most however have never heard of Arizona’s Hohokam people who lived in the North American Southwest which is now part of south-central Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico. The reason most haven’t heard of them, is because they existed between the years of 300 and 1500 CE, with cultural precursors possibly as early as 300 BCE! .The Hohokam culture declined around 1450 CE, and the reasons for their disappearance are not fully understood. 

Most archaeologists either argue they emerged locally or in Mesoamerica, but were also influenced by the Northern Pueblo culture. One of the main & most intriguing things they were known for, was for the Hohokam's advanced irrigation systems which were the most advanced in North America at the time, with canals stretching for miles. They were also skilled farmers, cultivating crops like corn, beans, squash, and cotton, and developing extensive irrigation canals to water their fields. They were also highly skilled artisans, creating the most intricate shell/stone jewelry, along with pottery.

THE STORY BEHIND THE FROG EARRINGS:

When the idea of recreating some of the ancient Ancestral Puebloan and prehistoric Hohokam jewelry first came to mind, there was truly no other artist I could trust to bring this vision to life with authenticity than my Kewa Puebloan artisan friend Warren Nieto. Warren is an artist who loves to step back to the time of his ancestors, so he immediately understood the references and cultural intent I was describing. I had complete confidence in choosing Warren because he approaches each piece with deep respect, exceptional skill, and has a well-grounded knowledge of history to support his work.

THE CHARM EARRINGS:

These incredibly designed little charm earrings center around water and the ongoing existence of frogs, symbolizing life and nature’s delicate balance and the connection between creatures and their living habitat. Made with creamy white Glycymeris (clam) shell — a material highly valued by the ancient Hohokam people — each shell piece was carefully cut and hand-sculpted by Warren, lending an artisanal quality. To heighten their visual and conversational appeal, Warren added rectangular pieces of Kingman turquoise and spiny oyster that rest along the frogs’ curved backs, and even finished the pieces with tiny turquoise beaded eyes for charming detail!

This is my only pair at the moment, but should have more coming asap!

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SPECIFIC DETAILS:

ARTIST: WARREN NIETO MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR PLATA DE SANTA FE JEWELRY

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: KEWA VILLAGE (SANTO DOMINGO PUEBLO)

MEASUREMENT FROM EAR WIRE CURVATURE TO BOTTOM: 1-7/8” X 1-1/8"

FROG MEASUREMENT WITHOUT EAR WIRE : 1-1/8” X 1-1/8”

COMBINED WEIGHT: 10.7 GRAMS

MATERIALS: GLYCYMERIS SHELL (SWEET CLAM) - KINGMAN TURQUIOSE- SPINY OYSTER SHELL

METAL: STERLING

EAR STYLE: WIRES

TECHNIQUE: TOTALLY MADE BY HAND-LAPIDARY-MOSAIC WORK

HALLMARK: BECAUSE OF A BIG ORDER THAT WAS MADE,THESE WENT THROUGH WITHOUT WARREN HALLMARKING THEM-I SHOULD HAVE THEM HALLMARKED THE WEEK OF THE 8TH OF DECEMBER (GIVE OR TAKE)

COME GIFT BOXED

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PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING:

*****I do not consider myself a 'professional photographer" but I do try to give you photos that are 'realistic in color.. Please understand that all screen monitors are different, so the materials can look brighter (or duller) ,more intense or less intense from one computer/phone to the next.

In order to give you close up photos so I can provide you with all the detail, photos can tend to make the item look much more larger & everything is more magnified than in actuality. I usually show how earrings look on the ear, but will be doing this on another day asap. So at the moment, to get an idea of the size, you can pull out a ruler or a measuring tape and then compare everything to the measurements I provided you with. If you need a photo sooner, please email me.