BRO100 Silver and turquoise brooch Harpo

Pièce unique

Navajo silver brooch representing a Koshari clown, made using the Tufa Cast technique. It is set with a beautiful Kingman turquoise (Arizona).

The Koshari clown is an emblematic figure of Hopi culture. He is personified as a malicious, comical clown in black and white stripes, often eating a watermelon. He's a gluttonous character who captures the attention of crowds with his burlesque behavior during ceremonies.

In Hopi tradition, this Kachina clown interrupts rituals with his eccentric behavior: he satirizes human behavior and shows that the actions of one person have repercussions for the whole group.

This designer brooch is made with the Tufa Cast technique, one of the oldest processes used by the Navajos:

The artist takes a mold made of volcanic stone (tufa) and divises it in two parts. In the first part, he carves a design of his choice, melts silver in, and tightly covers it with the second part of the mold. Once the silver is hard, the mold eventually breaks, making this piece a unique item. This technique creates a jewel of traditionnal rough aspect on which we can clearly see the beautiful lumps of tufa stone. 

Dimensions (H x W) : 54mm x 40mm

This brooch is in sterling silver.

Proudly Navajo handmade in the USA.