BOLO PROVENANCE:

This very old bolo came from a wonderful Arizona resident who inherited it from her grandfather who also was a Arizona resident. Now up there in age & no one to pass it onto that would appreciate, nor wear it, she decided to look me up to meet. She was telling me that she remembers her grandfather wearing this in the mid 50's,but is older than that.It was well kept all this time.

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A PERSONAL WORD:

Always having been a huge fan of Zuni work, whether for their intricately made picturesque mosaic work or whether it's their heavily clustered work, this is Puebloan art that demands appreciation for all the pain staking laborious hours that it takes to make such pieces..Each piece seems to be made so effortlessly,but knowing what they have to do to create this type of work, is truly rewarding when it's finalized..

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THE BOLO:

Made with an undeniable look that belongs to the Zuni people,both the "Rainbow Man & the Zuni "Sunface" are beautifully displayed in an understated size..No it's not over the top like some bolos can get, but this is a case where "Quality" dominates "Quantity".

Made of white shell, orange/red spiny oyster, jet & turquoise, each piece that was cut to create this curved Kachina, were impeccably cut & shaped to fit perfectly as they lay side by side in a mosaic inlaid art form.

Softer turquoise will change color over time because of the body's oils, where as harder-higher qualities maintain their color over time & with that said, it's only in the curved part of the Rainbow Man's arch that slightly has changed to green. All the rest has stayed blue after all theses years, which tells you that it's high quality/harder turquoise.Each section sits in a very fine serrated bezel that's actually in perfectly kept condition!!

What I find different about this Rainbow Man compared to others,is the fact they he has 3 sterling feathers that shoot off it's side..I'm sure you're like me,where you've seen many,but I just have never seen one made with these!

If you look at the last photo, you'll see how the 'adjuster' is made very primitively! This is one thing that validates & gives away it's age & was done this way long before the "Bennett' adjusters were starting to be used. The art hangs from a skinny 3.5 mm round black leather bolo strap & is finalized by the Sunface tips that are actually soldered to the sterling cones..The sterling cones have serrated edges to grasp well on the black leather.

Whether your an Southwestern Banker, Texas oil man, or maybe work in a southwestern Gallery, this is an historical piece that commands appreciation! Perfect for man OR woman!!

See all photos since they play a major role to my description'