Navajo Shoulder Bag filled with dried fragrant juniper.

The brown leather is salvaged anglo-tanned leather typical of that time. Lacing is sueded leather cut into strips. Ornamentation is silver and consists of 93 high doned 9/16" diameter round buttons. There are 56 of these stamp decorated buttons along the strap and another 37 on the face of the pouch.

They are made of reasonably heavy gauge sheet that was rolled from ingot coin material. Impressive! 

There are also two oval conchos on the face of the bag. The focus of the design of one is an egg-shaped green turquoise stone set in a simple, smooth bezel surrounded by rope twist wire. From this setting 16 repousse rays emanate to a stamp decorated with a scalloped edge. The second concho is larger. There is no center stone, but there are also 16 repousse rays emanating from a flat oval center to a stamped scalloped edge.

Overall condition is very good with lots of character.

The Navajo were the first of the Native Americans of the Southwest to learn silversmithing from the Spanish. Most Navajo jewelry emphasizes silver, with turquoise stones used as an accent. Some pieces are cast in sand or tufa molds, while others are hammered, using a male stamp and a female die.

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