Navajo Red Mountain Silver Dollar Squash Blossom Necklace

Exceptional Navajo silver dollar squash blossom necklace. Crafted in 1925 for a special occasion/pow wow. Eleven 3" turquoise discs with silver dollar centers. Dollars date 1882, 1884, 1886, 1890 and 1921. The turquoise is from the Red Mountain mine. Total length 52" plus 6" naja. If hanging 32" top to bottom. Deaccession from a private Washington D.C. museum. Definitely one of a kind. The Navajo word for the squash blossom bead literally means “bead that spreads out”. This tri-petal form first appeared about 1880. Scholars believe that this flower motif was introduced by the Spanish as a variation of the pomegranate flower blossom, and the Navajo adapted it as a symbol of their revered squash. Initially the necklaces were rather simple with the tri-petal silver beads interspersed with rather plain beads. In time, stones were added to the blossom beads as demonstrated in our collection. According to the Navajo, the Naja is strictly decorative; however, it has always been held in high regard by the Navajo and other peoples.