***RARE Vintage Federico Jimenez- FLAWLESS / IMPECCABLY MADE- Hand Mosaic Inlaid- Carico Lake Turquoise RAINBOWMAN Squash Blossom-Sterling Necklace- 31"- Lapidary Masterpiece!***
***RARE Vintage Federico Jimenez- FLAWLESS / IMPECCABLY MADE- Hand Mosaic Inlaid- Carico Lake Turquoise RAINBOWMAN Squash Blossom-Sterling Necklace- 31"- Lapidary Masterpiece!***
FIRM ON PRICE-SORRY BUT NO DISCOUNTS APPLY TO THIS ITEM
A PERSONAL WORD:
Those of you who know me by now understand that workmanship is just as crucial to me as the quality of the stones set in the jewelry I proudly carry. Impeccable workmanship ranks very high on my list of criteria for what I consider worthy to stock in my inventory. In fact, I have been known to pass up a piece or two in the blink of an eye if it doesn’t meet my standards. This mindset stems directly from my early days as a jeweler, when the importance of flawless, clean workmanship was literally drilled into me. It truly takes a lot to impress me, but when I come across jewelry that is “Flawless-Impeccable”—made where I can clearly see all the meticulous steps the artist took and the countless hours invested—it’s the kind of workmanship that I deeply appreciate and simply cannot pass up!
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THE RAINBOW MAN FIGURE:
For those of you who might be beginners to southwest jewelry, the "Rainbow Man" is one of the most widely recognized and iconic figures throughout the southwest region, with the focus on the Zuni Pueblo people. This revered figure is considered the sacred Zuni Puebloan guardian spirit, symbolizing protection and watchfulness. He is often depicted on the Zuni’s war shields and represents the powerful and life-giving rainbow, which signifies the essential rains that sustain agriculture in the arid American Southwest, particularly nurturing the sacred corn plant that holds great cultural significance.
The Rainbow Man was one of the earliest figures to be incorporated into traditional Zuni mosaic inlay jewelry. Beginning in the 1920s through the 1940s, various talented Zuni Native artists began designing intricate mosaic inlay pieces featuring the Rainbow Man, gaining increasing popularity by the 1950s. He remains a vital and meaningful icon in Zuni traditions, culture, and society, instantly recognizable by his distinctive "Rainbow" shape and symbolic importance.
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THE NECKLACE:
It was literally decades ago when Zuni mosaic inlay and cluster work first quickly grabbed Federico's attention, and his passion for this art form hasn’t stopped growing since then. His never-ending love and deep appreciation for Zuni jewelry is clearly reflected in this exquisite necklace, where he thoughtfully pays homage to this very recognizable and iconic figure of Zuni culture.
I feel incredibly honored and privileged to offer one of the 1st RainbowMan squash blossom necklaces he made, so this is one of his earlier pieces (From the early 1990s) a time when his talent was already marked by exceptional skill. This necklace showcases impeccable quality, and I’m not only speaking about the high-grade materials used, but also the obvious, flawless workmanship that went into the making. This necklace is much more than just a piece of jewelry; it is truly a breathtaking, timeless Work of ART!
Federico has always been incredibly fortunate to have some of the finest mosaic artists working alongside him, who have made this stunning mosaic inlay work with exceptional skill. By closely examining the workmanship here, it becomes abundantly clear that this particular lapidarian truly mastered his art and knew exactly what he was doing! His meticulous attention to detail goes above and beyond perfection and is genuinely impressive to behold. If you could only imagine the immense amount of care and precision that goes into creating this kind of work, you would fully appreciate just how exceptionally time-consuming it is. A necklace of this caliber cannot simply be made in a matter of days; rather, it takes many months of dedicated effort! To achieve this level of artistry, it requires extensive know-how, extraordinary patience, and highly meticulous skills, combined with excellent lapidarian expertise. Every single tiny piece of shell and stone is carefully hand-cut and expertly shaped to uniform size, ensuring that no measurements vary from one figure to another throughout the entire piece.
It's a long & hearty type of necklace where there is a generous amount of both materials & metal. It has 6 very uniform Rainbow Man “blossoms'" per side that are evenly matched & made with a gorgeous color minty green Carico Lake turquoise, creamy orange & red spiny oyster shell, white Mother of Pearl & black onyx. Each section of the figure is set in their own bezels, but if you zoom in on the photos,you'll see where the face, upper body & skirt have an 'embedded' type of flush inlay. (See especially photo 10) So these are of one piece, but have all the tiny cuts embedded into the section that then sits in it's bezel! The arms, the ceremonial Tablita headdress, legs/feet have a different technique, where they are "channel" mosaic inlaid. This is the same for the large centerpiece.
All the art is hooked through 2 strands in the 7 mm range sterling beads that are all hand made, that then are then held by bars on the backside to keep them all stationary.
This is more than a 10 thumbs up necklace! This is a piece that will speak for itself & has a collector's/heirloom quality & especially for those who are serious Federico collectors!!! It’s a perfect piece of "Lapidary ART!"
INFO:
ARTIST: Federico Jimenez
CIRCA MADE: Early 1990’s
“INNER” WEARABLE LENGTH: About 27" (Measured laying horizontally -measured from closure to closure, without blossom or centerpiece length
TOTAL LENGTH WITH CENTER PIECE LENGTH: About 31.50"
WEIGHT: 11.8 Ounces (Slightly under 3/4 lb.) (334 Grams)
STRANDS: 2
AMOUNT OF 'BLOSSOM'S': 12
EACH BLOSSOM SIZE: 2-1/8" Tall x 1-5/8" Wide (At widest/Longest parts)
RAINBOW MAN CENTERPIECE : 3.25" x 3.25"
MATERIAL: Natural Green Carico Lake Turquoise-Red Spiny Oyster Shell-Shimmery Mother of Pearl-Black Onyx
METAL: Sterling Silver
METAL FINISH: Lightly Oxidized
BEAD SIZE: 7 mm Range
TECHNIQUE: Exquisite Lapidary Work-Mosaic Inlay
CLOSURE: Hook & Eye
CONDITION: Perfect well Kept Condition-Naturally developed Patina-No loose or cracked stones
HALLMARK: Sterling~JF
COMES GIFT BOXED
SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT:
Anything with a higher 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 it 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 am not a professional photographer, but I do try to do my best at giving you accuracy in color. Please go through each photo to see any variation. Whether it be your computer monitor or phone screen, the item can appear to be either more vivid (Or duller),so please take this into consideration. If I can provide additional photos in various lightings, please don’t hesitate contacting us!
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. To get an idea of the size,you can view the mannequin photos or if you have a measuring tape ,please pull it out & then compare everything to the measurements I provided you with.
