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A PERSONAL WORD ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Unlike many other Kewa Puebloan artists, Warren Nieto doesn’t simply create mosaic-lapidary work for the sake of visual appeal alone. Instead, he consistently designs each piece with a meaningful and authentic Pueblo story at its core, ensuring that every creation, carries deep cultural significance. Warren happens to be not only a true favorite of mine but also possesses a powerful presence that resonates with people all around the globe. He proudly carries with him the rich traditions that have been carefully and respectfully passed down from generation to generation through an extensive and profound oral history. This history stretches back as far as the Common Era years, when Warren’s ancestors lived in the historic Chaco Canyon, Pueblo Bonito, and Mesa Verde regions of America—long before the arrival of any settlers on these lands.

Ancestral Puebloan sites, such as the renowned Chaco Canyon, here in New Mexico, have documented that pueblo ancestors were situated at the heart of extensive turquoise trade routes that stretched from the Pacific Northwest all the way down to Central America. These important trade routes not only facilitated the exchange of turquoise but also brought in a variety of shells, tusks, and other natural materials into the cultural sphere of ancestral Pueblo communities. This rich influx of diverse materials played a significant role in making their intricate mosaic pieces vibrant, colorful, and truly unique, reflecting a broad network of connections across regions.

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THE NECKLACE:

When the thought of recreating jewelry from the ancient Ancestral Puebloan time period came about, the only Puebloan artist I could truly trust to bring it to light, was none other than my friend Warren, since I knew the jewelry would be made with the utmost respect and precision. I was confident he would approach the work with exceptional skill and accuracy, drawing from his profound and extensive knowledge of history and tradition.

This ancient inspired, yet expertly modern-made necklace is a distinctive and deeply meaningful piece within Warren’s “Ancestral Puebloan Series”.  In this collection, he thoughtfully and skillfully guides us on a captivating journey back through time with beautifully made jewelry that closely resemble the jewelry his ancestors might have worn, dating back to approximately the 1100-1200 CE time period. Throughout the entire creation process of this necklace, Warren paid meticulous attention to every intricate detail, carefully ensuring that it remains as historically accurate and faithful to the original era as possible, preserving the rich spirit and cultural significance of the past.

Traditionally designed, this AMAZINGLY made Thunderbird necklace is done in a 3 strand heishi necklace of all hand cut creamy peach colored Glycymeris clam shell. The “TRUE” star of the show however, is the very signature southwestern “Thunderbird” that Warren cut & shaped by hand & is also made with the Glycymeris shell for the base & then mirrored on the top of it, are cuts of Nacozari turquoise that are mosaic inlaid atop of the clam.. The circular cut in the center is spiny oyster replicates the “SUN”. Hanging from the bottom of the bird is the “Jacla” which is made of 2 strands of vivid blue Kingman turquoise beads that actually represent the “Rain”. Rusty color orange Spiny Oyster represent corn. Dots of turquoise follow the perimeter of the birds outline.

At the shoulders of the Thunderbird, string connects the Thunderbird & the heishi strands. This method was the way the Pueblo people would connect things all those years ago, that is, before man came out with metal jump rings! The string is then tightly tied off & then ‘burned to make them secure & stable. (See backside photo 13) If you zoom in closely on the photos, you will truly appreciate how Warren immersed himself in the historical era of his ancestors. You can clearly see that he deliberately “rough-cut” the turquoise and Spiny Oyster stones to give them more of a ‘free form’ cut which authentically replicates the time period before advanced tools were made available. (See photos of the “Tab” cuts that alternate within the heishi strands) Additionally, these cuts were thoughtfully given a matte finishing to mimic the natural aging process, making the pieces look as if they have endured the passage of time. This attention to detail highlights Warren’s dedication to preserving the traditional workmanship of that era.

Near the closure are fully mosaic inlaid “Cones” that were inlaid atop of a bone base. The 3 hand made Turquoise & Spiny Oyster beads finalize the design with 7.50” of string per side. This long string allows you to tie it where ever you like to wear it at it’s fullest length or shortest!

This one of a kind necklace is a “Lapidary-Work of Art” which plays a crucial and important role. This art form highlights the extraordinary beauty and exceptional skill involved in carefully cutting and shaping every single material.

Be sure to check out Warren’s Ancestral Puebloan earrings & more necklaces, including "HOHOKAM" inspired necklaces!! (A ultra gorgeous 5 strand Charm Necklace from the series can be found under “Necklaces”, whereas all the others are under this same “Necklace 2” category! Earrings are under the “Earrings 3” category!

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ANCESTRAL PUEBLO SERIES NECKLACE:

ARTIST: WARREN NIETO - MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR PLATA de SANTA FE JEWELRY

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: KEWA VILLAGE-(SANTO DOMINGO PUEBLO)

WEIGHT: 8.4 OUNCES (240 GRAMS)

WEARABLE LENGTH: 26” (MEASURED LAYING HORIZONTALLY-FROM THE TOP BEAD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STRING,TO THE OTHER END- MEASURED WITHOUT THE THUNDERBIRD)

TOTAL NECKLACE LENGTH: TIED AT SHORTEST: ABOUT 32.5" - LONGEST : (FROM STRING END TO STRING END): ABOUT 40"

THUNDERBIRD ALONE: 3.50” X 3” TALL (WITHOUT JACLA)

THUNDERBIRD LENGTH WITH JACLA: 6.50”

TURQUOISE MOSAIC IN THUNDERBIRD PENDANT, TABS & “CONES”: NACOZARI SONORAN TURQUOISE

OTHER MATERIALS: REDDISH/ORANGE SPINY OYSTER-GLYCYMERIS CLAM SHELL-BLACK JET & MOP (ACCENTS ON BOTTOM OF THUNDERBIRD)-WAXED STRING-BONE

TURQUOISE “CONES” : 1-1/4” TALL X 1-1/8” WIDE X 3/4” DEPTH

HEISHI SIZE: 5 MM ROUND

STRAND AMOUNT: 3

HALLMARK: “WN” WITH “KIVA STEPS” ON BACK OF THUNDERBIRD

COMES GIFT BOXED

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SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT:

Anything with a high price tag, will have a mandatory signature confirmation requirement & will come insured (reflected in shipping price).. If you're not home in the day & need this shipped where it can be signed for,please change that in your "Ship To" section before I create the shipping label***I'm sorry if this may be an inconvenience, but I do not ship expensive pieces without one. This is for your safety & mine

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PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING:

I do not consider myself a 'professional photographer" but I do try my hardest to give you photos that are 'realistic" in color. Please realize that all monitors are different, so the materials can look more vivid (or duller) from one computer to the next.

To give you close up photos,pictures tend to make the item look much more larger & everything is more magnified than in actuality. So to get an accurate idea of how big this is, please either check it out being worn to get a rough idea (see photos) or you can pull out a tape measure & compare to my given measurements above.