Vintage Hopi Necklace by Phillip Sekaquaptewa or Weseoma

Hopi jeweler Phillip Sekaquaptewa learned the art of jewelry making at the Hopi Arts and Crafts Silvercraft Cooperative Guild located on Second Mesa. While many former Hopi Guild students are known for their wonderful silver overlay jewelry, Phil Sekaquaptewa or Weseoma took his jewelry a step further by incorporating colorful stones, sometimes in an inlay technique. His jewelry developed as highly unique contemporary art pieces. 

While he passed away in 2003, Philip Sekaquaptewa's jewelry is still impressive and of-the-moment even two decades later. 

This is a particularly outstanding necklace by Weseoma or Phil Sekaquaptewa. The centerpiece is a dazzling overlay katsina face of silver that hangs from graduated rolled natural spiny oyster beads of red and purple shades. Other impressive elements of this necklace are the tufa cast silver cylinder beads and elongated cones reminiscent of Charles Loloma's work. Finally, two tiny hand rolled beads of the lapis sit atop the silver cones. They're a little addition to the necklace, but they do so much!

Weseoma's necklace is long! It measures 30.5" from end to end plus the center pendant that's 2 1/4" long x 1 3/4" wide. Signed on the reverse, this stunner is from a Seattle collection.

• Vintage Hopi Necklace 
• By Phillip Sekaquaptewa or Weseoma
• Dates pre-2003
• Graduated Red and Purple Spiny Oyster Beads
• Sterling Silver Overlay Katsina Pendant
• Tufa cast cylinder beads and elongated cones
• Measures 30.5" from End to End
• Hallmarked on reverse