For weeks now, Wings has had a masterpiece in the works. He finished it today, and no one will be disappointed.
I write frequently about the role of the natural world in our way of life, about how it informs our traditions and how our ways in turn help shape how we perceive that world. This work embodies all of those qualities, and so much more.
It began, I think, with his contemplation of a certain collection of very old stones. They come from one of my old pieces: a big bold necklace that, while very beautiful and valuable, was not at all in my style. I had long ago given him permission to take it apart and use the stones as he saw fit.
There were many, many stones — and they are full of spirit themselves, hand-cut in the old way into teardrop shapes. And when I say “hand-cut,” I mean exactly that; these cabochons were created without benefit of the sort of power tools now commonly used by virtually every artisan. If you look closely at some of them, you can still see the faint blade marks on their surfaces.
The conchas themselves are summoned into being from a variety of symbols: an embrasure of symbols that double as both mountain peaks and lodges, in this place, both of them representations of sacred space; hundreds of tiny, individually-stamped circles, also with twin meanings of water and life’s sacred hoop; and then the stones themselves, arranged in a blossom pattern that honors the Four Sacred Directions.
The buckle, echoing the conchas‘ shape but in larger form, reprises the water-as-life motif around the edges, but features a single larger stone in the center, set in the protective embrace of another set of sacred symbols. Like the conchas, the buckle is strung on on a hand-made black leather belt, which in turn is strung with the traditional knotted loop and twin tassels of the same leather.
All of these features, and more, are highlighted in the piece’s description in the Belts Gallery here on the site:
Offering Concha Belt
Sometimes, a piece comes together in ways even the artist doesn’t anticipate, a symbolizing of the sacred that is greater than the sum of its parts. This concha belt is one such work. One dozen sterling silver conchas, rectangular in shape and lightly domed in repoussé fashion, are meticulously hand-stamped in an old traditional pattern: symbols that function simultaneously as representations of mountain peaks and as lodges, a protective medicine pattern that evokes the power of the mountains sacred to this place. Each sits around a hand-scored rectangle, in the center of which is a four-petaled blossom of very old natural hand-cut cabochons of Bisbee turquoise, representing the Four Sacred Directions. The edges of each concha are filled with tiny sacred hoops, each struck individually, representing the rain and water as life. The larger rectangular buckle is edged in an alternating positive/negative pattern of matched thunderhead symbols that, point down, represent the rain; point up, they embody the steps to the sacred space. The buckle repeats the same hand-stamped pattern of sacred hoops to fill the spaces to the edge; it also features a single larger rectangular cabochon of old Bisbee turquoise, deep blue with a gloriously bold pyrite matrix flashing hints of red. Instead of the usual sawdust, every stone is seated in a bezel filled with Native tobacco as an expression of thanks for that which is sacred: a permanent offering for every piece of silver and stone on the belt, and a permanent blessing for the wearer. All thirteen pieces are strung on a hand-made black leather belt stamped in a repeating buffalo pattern. Belt length is 46.5″; each concha is 2-1/16″ long by 1-9/16″ high; buckle is 2.75″ long by 2″ high; buckle’s center stone is .75″ long by .5″ high (all dimensions approximate). Other views shown below.
Sterling silver; old Bisbee turquoise; black leather
$4,500 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Note: Size, weight, and value require special handling; extra shipping charges apply
About that reference to sawdust and tobacco . . . .
This is perhaps the detail that transforms this work. The craftsmanship is truly extraordinary; the tobacco inspirits it in a way not found anywhere else.
Each of these stones — one on the buckle, and forty-eight across the dozen conchas — features one more unique characteristic, too, something that transforms this belt from a beautiful work of wearable art into something that approaches the sacred. It’s frequently the case, particularly with older stones, that the back s will be a bit uneven; sometimes the stones themselves are difficult to place securely in the bezels on their own. In such situations, skilled smiths will often use a small layer of sawdust as fill: It gives the fragile old stones a bit of padding, and some extra security, holding them in place so that their surfaces rise evenly.
These are not backed with sawdust.
Instead, Wings has backed every single stone with a fill of Native tobacco: one of our sacred medicines, a substance we use as an offering to elders, and to the spirits.
At the moment, if you lean in close to each concha, you can just catch the fragrant scent of the tobacco, giving the whole belt an added air of mystery and power. The scent will fade, of course, over time, but the power inherent in it won’t.
It’s a piece that has been in the works for some time now, as Wings has taken an especially careful approach to it. It’s meticulous, fine, heavily detailed work, and extremely labor-intensive. The effort has been worth it, producing a piece of incredible substance and spirit. The entire work radiates power, but more than that, it embodies Spirit.
It transforms the wearer into a walking offering, and that is a powerful thing in its own right.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owners.
