ABOUT THE ARTIST: (1920-2002)
Ranking as one of Zuni’s best mosaic inlay artisans, Zuni Puebloan artist Edward Beyuka (EAB), was active circa 1960’s till the time of his passing. Born in 1920,Eddie served in World War II & was captured by the Japanese, and endured the harrowing Bataan Death March before surviving and returning home. After completing his education, he eventually turned to jewelry making, where his work reflected both his cultural heritage and the resilience shaped by his life experiences. Eddie was most knownfor his channel inlay bolos and standing Kachina figures and dancers.He passed away in 2002.

Beyuka was featured in the "Jewels of the Southwest" exhibit at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe in 2002, showcasing his distinctive workmanship to a wider audience. His work is held in the permanent collection of the Peabody Museum at Harvard University, and also belongs to a number of private collectors who treasure his pieces.

ABOUT THE APACHE GAAN DANCER:

Purpose: The dance is performed to invoke the Mountain Spirits to cure illness, protect against enemies, and to mark important life transitions—such as the Sunrise Ceremony for young women—bringing communal healing, guidance, and renewal.

Symbolism & Attire: Dancers wear wooden headdresses (crowns) adorned with symbols of nature — the sun, moon, and lightning — and in some instances the Apache cross, each element carrying cultural meaning. Their regalia includes black masks, buckskin skirts, and rows of bells that accentuate movement, while many also paint their bodies with white clay as part of the ceremonial expression.

The Group: The group includes four dancers symbolizing the cardinal directions and a fifth member, the "clown," who carries and swings a bull-roarer—a length of wood tied to a string—to ritualistically drive away evil spirits.

Ritual & Protocol: The dancers are forbidden to speak during the performance, communicating only through their props and movement. It is regarded as a sacred, often private ceremony, and observers are traditionally advised to refrain from photographing, touching, or otherwise interrupting the performers out of respect for the ritual.

ABOUT THE ‘BENNETT C-31” ADJUSTER/CLASP:

One way to tell how old a bolo is, is if you see a "Bennett Pat. Pend. C-31" stamped on the piece. This particular clasp, patented in the mid-1950s, became a common choice for Native American and Southwestern artisans and was widely used from the 1950s through the 1970s. The Bennett C-31 clasp was specifically designed to hold bolo cords securely while preventing wear or damage to the leather or braided cords. The term refers to the small mechanical sliding clasp on the back of the bolo that grips and adjusts the cord. Keep in mind that the C-31 mark identifies the style of clasp, not the artist or the silver content of the bolo.

A PERSONAL WORD:

You truly have to be a real artist to create this type of impeccable work, and also be a highly skilled lapidarian. Eddie's precise, careful workmanship doesn’t come overnight, but is the result of years of practice and dedication to reach the level he had achieved. Rather than using canvas, brushes, and paints like actual painters, Eddie drew from our earth’s colorful natural resources by using various colored stones, shells, and minerals — to create these painted-like pieces of jewelry that beautifully emulate a fine painted masterpiece as if you’re right there at the Pueblo watching the Dancers!

Eddie's lapidary works of art will go down in history as being one of the finest mosaic inlay artisans to come out of Zuni. His pieces are highly collectible and because of the exceptional skill and artistry involved, owning anything by this top‑notch artist, is more like collecting fine art than simply acquiring jewelry. His work isn’t just jewelry, but rather the epitome of “TRUE” art that is designed in shell-stone-metal form!

Please view all the photos and read below for all the detail!

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SPECIFIC DETAILS:

ARTIST: Edward (Eddie) Beyuka

CIRCA: Late 60’s to 1970’s

TRIBE: Zuni Pueblo, NM

LENGTH: : 19” (Measured 1 side-Measured by laying vertically & measured from the curvature of the cord at the back of neck to the bottom of drum tips) TOTAL LENGTH: 38”

METAL: Sterling Silver (Tested)

WEIGHT: 3.26 Ounces-92.7 Grams

GAAN DANCER MEASUREMENT: 5.25" x 2.25" (Longest to widest Points)

MATERIALS: White Mother of Pearl Shell, Tortoise Looking Brown Shell, Turquoise, Melon Shell, Italian Coral, Fabric Cord

TECHNIQUE: Excellent Lapidary Art-Mosaic Inlay

DRUM TIPS ALONE: 1” x 15.5 mm Diameter (5/8”) FROM CONES ABOVE THE TIPS TO BOTTOM OF DRUM: 3”

CLASP ADJUSTER: Bennett Pat.Pend-C-31 Clasp

CONDITION: Excellent Used Vintage Condition-Extremely well kept, no cracks, chips, no missing stones. Heavy Patination on all the sterling areas.(I do not clean vintage, so will send as it is) I do not have details as to what the interior of the sellers house was.

HALLMARK: EAB-ZUNI

Will come protected & boxed well!

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SIGNATURE REQUIREMENT:
Anything with a high price tag, will have a mandatory signature confirmation requirement (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.

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 GIGANTIC & 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 on the mannequin to get a rough idea (see photos) or you can pull out a tape measure & compare to my given measurements above.