Rare 1970s BEAR TOES Workshop Sterling Silver Zuni Menagerie Necklace For Sale

An exceptional, museum-grade piece of Southwestern jewelry history: a masterfully crafted 1970s Native American Multi-Animal Mosaic Inlay Double-Strand Menagerie Necklace. This massive, multi-tiered statement piece features a parade of finely detailed barnyard and regional wildlife—including a prominent central steer pendant, pigs, sheep, and a meticulously rendered armadillo—each standing proudly atop a hand-stamped sterling silver ground bar.

The Historical \"Bear Toes\" Provenance: While heavily inspired by the iconic livestock imagery of mid-century Zuni masters like Porfilio & Ann Sheyka and Helen & Lincoln Zunie, this unsigned masterpiece features highly distinct technical fingerprints that trace its origin straight to the legendary \"Bear Toes\" wholesale workshop in Gallup, New Mexico. Operated during the 1970s jewelry boom by Anglo trading dynasty figure Frank Turpen and partner Stan Bartos, the Bear Toes workshop was a hotbed of historic inter-tribal collaboration. The workshop’s design language was heavily guided by Johnny Sheyka, a Zuni lapidarist who lived with the Turpen family and mentored the shop’s carvers. As a result, this necklace beautifully bridges two worlds: the highly stylized animal layout aesthetics of the Zuni Pueblo, executed with the robust, intricate silversmithing techniques of Navajo bench-smiths.

Exceptional Construction & Diagnostic Hallmarks: Because this necklace was a high-end collaborative workshop piece meant for immediate trading-post distribution, it was left un-hallmarked, but its mechanics tell the full story: The Lapidary Work: Flawless, precise stone-to-stone channel inlay utilizing genuine white mother-of-pearl, black onyx/jet, natural turquoise, coral, and spiny oyster shell. Fine Line Texturing: Unlike traditional flat-polished Sheyka pieces, the armadillo and livestock feature exquisite, hand-etched cross-hatching and texturing to realistically mimic armor, fur, and fleece. The Folded-Tab Backing: The ultimate diagnostic fingerprint of the Bear Toes workshop—each animal panel features a flat silver reverse bar with hand-crimped, folded silver tabs. This brilliant engineering allowed the lapidary work to be completed independently and safely clamped onto the strands without exposing the delicate stones to a soldering torch.Sterling Bench-Rolled Beads: The panels are securely mounted on a heavy double-strand of authentic, vintage bench-rolled sterling silver beads, displaying the classic hand-soldered equatorial seams and organic variations prized by collectors.Condition Report:Excellent vintage condition with a gorgeous, undisturbed natural patina on the sterling silver. All stone and shell inlay channels are completely intact, tight, and flush with no missing or replaced segments.This is a rare opportunity to own a beautifully documented, cross-cultural artifact from one of the most vibrant and creative eras of collaborative Southwestern jewelry making. A crowning addition to any high-end Native American art collection.