Check out the PBS News Hour, where they were so impressed by this amazing artist at Santa Fe’s International Folk Art Market, that they did a show on her! You need to see this!!!
PLEASE COPY/PASTE:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/at-santa-fes-international-folk-art-market-culture-is-the-commodity

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One thing about Kewa Pueblo Mary Tafoya's work, is the fact that everything she makes will be conversational, happy, abstract & colorful, while having a funky Folk Art edge & will be a true piece of art! She never fails at making my mouth fall to the floor,with everything she makes.. Each piece will be different from the next & ALL her pieces are literally "One of A Kind" pieces of art!

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THE NECKLACE:

For those of you who live in the Midwest, then you may be familiar with the "Firefly" (or “Lightning Bugs) which are very common to see in the summer month's..They are unique creatures that come out at night & light up,like they have some sort of lightbulb hidden inside them!

The inspiration for this "FIREFLY" necklace came about, while Mary was showing at an Native American event in Indiana & when she left at night,she saw the “matriarch” firefly & all her little babies lighting up, which was something a New Mexico native hadn't seen before. They gave off sparkles of color & that was how this necklace came about!

As seen through the eyes that only a artist can see,this has every color imaginable & is designed where the mama Firefly is flying upward & the tabs portray the babies.. The colors within each tab depict the colors they give off at night.

Totally made with traditional ancestral techniques, but made in a 21st century contemporary style, this is designed in a graduating 2 strand length, where the inner length has 4 'babies' that are threaded through the hand cut turquoise beads.. The tabs are made in a rectangular shape & each top has a different color that's made of different stones.(See inner length tab description below for material)The circular part at the bottom of the tabs are made of Cowrie shell & taking from these forms once they're cut,she then uses them for her subject.Each also have a different stone color that is mosaic inlaid & lays flush within them, that is portraying the color the fireflies give off.

The long outer 22" strand is the real focus where it has the Mama & 8 of her 'babies'.. The mom has wings of Rhodonite, a face of Phosphosiderite (fos-foe-sid-er-ite),(which has a deep lavender color & comes from Chile),her antennas are made with Mary's signature Conus shell..Again,each tab has a different color that's made of different stones..Every thing is mosaic inlaid atop of black jet.
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THE TURQUOISE BEAD NECKLACE:
The beaded necklace is all hand cut & due to Mary's popularity & the inability at times to do everything completely by herself anymore in order to get orders out, it now has become a family operation with everyone having a role from beginning to end.Mary however,will ALWAYS come up with the design/composition & lay out the materials & then mosaic inlay each, while the cutting of the beads she will share with her Award winner husband Lorenzo, who is a master cutter.. (As well as a gold/silversmith!) These particular beads are cut by Lorenzo,who cut the beads/heishi into these precise disks.He then hand drills each & every bead. He is so skilled at cutting that if you run your hands down the strand,you won't feel rough edges! THAT'S how you separate one who's skilled from one who isn't!

The necklace is then finalized by approximately 1-3/4 length (per side) of melon shell, pipestone, turquoise, serpentine, plus an array of others & topped off with hand made Apple Coral cones.

Like anything you get of Mary's,I can guarantee you that with this necklace,there will be people who will stop you,will compliment it & be in awh!!! Her jewelry never ever fails to do that!

The cool thing about owning Mary's jewelry is for the fact that you can pair any of her pieces together,regardless that they may not be the same,because it’s the ‘look’ that matches!

THERE IS NO TAX APPLIED FOR ANY & ALL OUT OF STATE SHIPMENTS!