Vintage Sterling Silver Squash Blossom Tufa Cast Necklace Rainbow Man Naja Old Pawn Navajo 24" Length 67 grams Old Pawn

Vintage, old pawn, Navajo sterling silver 'Rainbow Man' squash blossom necklace. In excellent vintage condition, lovely untouched patina. Rainbow Man is an intelligent force of nature which Navajo people have relationships with. It is a symbol of harmony that facilitates attention to the Grandfather intelligent force of nature. The curve of Rainbow Man represents the rainbow which it is responsible for.

Dimensions of Naja:
Width 2.25"
Height 2.25"
Length 24"
Weight 67 grams
Full length with Naja drop equivalent to 26.5""

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The sterling silver, tufa cast naja depicts two Rainbow Men with big smiles on their faces. The squash blossoms and Rainbow Men are strung on double strands of hand-made sterling silver beads which transition to single strands near the end. The beads end with a hook and eye clasp. My estimate is that this lovely sterling silver vintage squash blossom necklace was made in the late 1960s or early 1970s.

The naja is a prominent symbol in Navajo and Zuni jewelry and is always the center piece in squash blossom necklaces. I was told they are a feminine symbol, and their crescent shape represents the arms of a matriarch and the generations of the past and future. It symbolizes ease of movement, paths of least resistance for the family, even during challenging times. There is a sense of open arms in the shape of the naja that is soothing. Some najas have hands on each end.

The Navajo tribe was the first to adopt this design after encounters with the Spanish Mexicans that arrived at their land. The name ‘squash blossom’ originated by the signature beads found in the necklace, that spread out like a blossoming flower.

The Naja symbol was created as a talisman for protection, to ward off evil spirits. The Naja shape has also been known as an illustration of the womb, and when a squash blossom necklace has one turquoise piece suspended from the Naja, it is interpreted to be a representation of a child in the womb.