Squash Blossom Necklace

• Native American Squash Blossom Necklace

The history of this iconic necklace is a fascinating tale of the fusion of cultures and an enduring fashion statement. The Squash Blossom Necklace has been interpreted by many artists and has taken many forms over the centuries, but typically features round silver beads, interspersed with beads that have a flared side like that of a blooming flower, with a single centered horsehoe-shaped pendant called a Naja. The variations on this template are limitless however and are only constrained by the imagination of an artist. It is believed that the Navajo or Dine) people were the first to adopt the Squash Blossom Necklace design, sometime in the late 1870’s. Soon thereafter, however, most neighboring Southwest tribes had incorporated the necklace into their jewelry designs as well. While the Native people of the Southwest had long histories of jewelry making and personal adornment, it wasn’t until contact with the Spanish that they began to incorporate metals into their work. The Navajo were certainly among the first to work with metals, perhaps initially capturing or trading for simple iron adornments from Spanish soldiers as well as their horse bridles and saddles. These ornaments soon made their way onto necklaces that graced the necks of the local populace. As the Navajo began to learn the art of silversmithing in the late 1800’s (a craft also attributed to continued contact with the Spanish and Spanish Mexicans), these metal adornments were probably recreated in silver form and strung together with beads formed from silver coins to form a proper necklace. As with many native cultures, wealth was often worn in the form of adornment, and in many early photographs of the Navajo and other Southwestern Native peoples, it is clear that Squash Blossom Necklaces were worn with pride and reverence for their beauty and inherent value.