FRANK PATANIA SR.:(1899-1964)

Italian born designer Frank Patania Sr. was born in 1899 in Messina, Italy and was one of the greatest jewelry masters of our time. A perfectionist with an INCREDIBLE "eye for design", Frank didn't just make those 'Timeless" pieces of jewelry, but because of his mathematical, analytical, architectural mind that was backed by technical knowledge, he knew what he could do and what he couldn't do to make an accomplished piece last forever. Designing was Frank's calling and mastered extremely old technical European techniques and married them with artistry. Starting at the extremely young age of 6,he had apprenticed as a goldsmith and worked through repetition, learning all there was to learn before moving on to the next, so he would never feel limited with all aspects of hands on workmanship and designing.

Moving to NYC from Italy at 10 years of age wasn't easy for someone that young and to have that vast of knowledge be able to find work, which was literally a hopeless situation because of child labor laws.But at the age of 19,Frank was hired as a jewelry designer for the prestigious New York firm of Goldsmith, Stern & Company. While in America in 1924 he contracted tuberculosis and the firm sent him to Santa Fe, New Mexico where he found the thriving artistic community and the healthy climate of Santa Fe to be intoxicating and chose to remain in the Southwest even after his health improved. In 1927 he regained his strength and Frank opened the first Thunderbird Shop (The other's in Tucson) where he had all the 'who's who' customers of New Mexico, with a few being "Georgia O'Keeffe, Mabel John of Taos to name just a few. After falling in love with Native turquoise jewelry, he then applied his decades of technical knowledge of working with gold, platinum to working with stones known to the southwest and setting them in sterling. The Santa Fe Thunderbird Shop developed a signature style known as the "Thunderbird Look" which is easily recognized as having a timeless and very architectural aesthetic that's classic and modernist and no matter how much time passes, his jewelry will never go out of fashion because of this. No matter how small or how big, Frank's work is "HIGHLY" Collectable and will never lose value.. His work can be found in the Smithsonian Museum's permanent collection.

There is so much more to learn about this incredible man and the amazing designs he put out, I suggest you get the book that was written about him, as well as by Googling his name.

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THE BRACELET:

This is one of Frank's earlier pieces that is extremely RARE and is designed with having a very "Tribal-Warrior" vibe. Does it not only have a Warrior look, but this bracelet has a weight to match!!! And besides it's striking look, this will be one of the 1st things you'll notice when you hold it! It weighs OVER 1/2 POUND in weight and feels like it could be a 'weapon of mass destruction" ! It is that HEAVY!! (9.17 Ounces or 261 grams to be exact!)

The workmanship is literally outstanding, where the face was designed with repousse techniques that are witnessed in the appliques that create the lift in what looks like 'horns', the cheeks, the top of the headdress, the chin, along with the tear drop shaped pieces to the left and right of the eyes and to the right and left of the turquoise mouth. Used for the forehead, eyes, nose and mouth are chunky sized cuts of what I do believe to be, natural Kingman turquoise. These cuts have maintained their blue color, especially knowing how old this 80 to 90 year old piece is. This alone, is validation to the turquoise being "harder", which equates to 'quality' when we talk turquoise.The turquoise sits in serrated bezels.

It is designed in a "Hinge" style bracelet, (See photo 20) where it's broken up into 5 platforms, but has 4 hinges that are connected by pins that extend throughout the length of each panel. On the sides it has that signature "Thunderbird Shop" look, which has a Native "Kiva Step" design to the right and left of 3 circular shapes. These are made of heavy gauge metal that are soldered atop of the heavy gauge shank.(These are the 2nd and 3rd platforms) On the 4th and 5th platform is the underside's closure ,which is very impressive in regards to how it was designed. When closed, you see the two 1/2 domed beads of sterling ,but one of those is apart of the opening.(See photos 15, 16)

This is a "Collector's" piece, whether you collect anything and everything that bares Frank's name and or historical Santa Fe'an/Southwestern vintage.

**This is made for a small to a smaller medium sized wrist.(Under 6.50") ** If you need to do a layaway, please contact me!