This lovely Kewa (Santo Domingo) inlaid shell is a sizeable work of art. The pendant is attractively divided into four sections by decorative brass and silver ribbon strips. The sections feature small chip turquoise, larger square cut clam shell, mother of pearl shell and black jet. Each piece is set in a mosaic design. It hangs from olive shell Heishi and small silver beads.

The shell measures 4” by 3 ¾”. With the Heishi measuring a total of 20”. Not hallmarked, but beautifully crafted by a seasoned artist. Really pretty on!

Shell mosaic is a trademark style of Santo Domingo jewelry, drawing on a tradition dating back centuries. Many modern Pueblo artists will often style their inlaid jewelry after designs and patterns unearthed by archaeological research, found in rock art or on display in museums. Much Santo Domingo jewelry is strikingly similar to Ancestral Pueblo, or Anasazi, jewelry unearthed at Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde's—some of it more than a thousand years old.