Vintage Zuni Inlay Bird Pin Pendant

About the Piece: This is the sweetest little vintage Zuni inlay pin or pendant depicting a creature that appears to be half eagle and half thunderbird.

I'm just in love with this little Zuni bird pin/pendant! There's so much detail for such a tiny size. The sterling silver pin/pendant is inlaid with jet, red spiny oyster, turquoise and white shell - all those stones inlaid into a cute and tiny package.

The pin/pendant is actually really unique in design. The bird's body is depicted like a Zuni thunderbird, but his head with the curved beak is more like an eagle. Additionally, his little silver border is decorated with tiny stamp work - also very unique. 

This little bird measures just a hair over an inch, so he's an uncommonly small Zuni figure. That means he looks especially wonderful as a little necklace. He'll come hanging from a sterling silver chain.  Etched with an old inventory code "YTT" on the back.

Summary:

Item: vintage Zuni inlay thunderbird or eagle pin/pendant

Attribution: Zuni

Materials: sterling silver, turquoise, red spiny oyster, white shell, jet

Dimensions: just over an inch tall

Signature: unsigned but old "YTT" code

Provenance: from a collection of vintage Zuni bird pins and pendants