A TREASURE FROM THE OLD WEST - SANTO DOMINGO PUEBLO on "Travel Tuesday"

Neck, arm AND eye candy, all in one shot.  The large white necklace, and where it came from, is what this post is actually about, but the magazine shot doesn't hurt (and was done with my Mom in mind).  Hell on Wheels starts back up for a final season on June 11th - if you haven't been watching it all along, you need to look up the back seasons on Netflix, because you don't know what you've been missing!  Anyway, back to the neck candy - it came this week in my mail, and it's spectacular!

I talked a little in the last post about knowing who you are buying Native American jewelry (or other artworks) from, and someone commented about online buying being a bad idea.  I agree - buying valuable jewelry online would probably be the last thing I EVER suggest unless you really know what it is you're after.  My dad, who has collected Indian art and antiquities for 50+ years, peruses eBay and the online sites in his spare time, and has commented to me about an increase in newer pieces being made to look old in this market, as well.  Reproduction pieces seem to be the norm, anymore, and you have to beware with just about everything.

However, if you REALLY pay attention to detail, check a seller's feedback, and KNOW what you're looking at (research WISELY, in other words), there ARE honest dealers out there.  You just have to use your head.  Dad and I have both made fabulous eBay purchases...the best one I've made to date arrived this past week - a purchase made from someone selling off a small collection of personal items collected in the 60s in New Mexico.  They were ALL the real deal.

The necklace above (and below) was in that collection - a beautiful Santo Domingo White Clamshell Heishi and Natural Turquoise necklace.  It has, very obviously, been in a vault, on a peg for the past 50 years.  I would be very surprised if it has seen more than one wearing - it is THAT pristine!

I DID know what I was looking at when I stumbled upon the auction, but not exactly how spectacular, or substantial, this purchase was until it arrived.  This necklace was (and it HAS been verified to be authentic, already) crafted in the Santo Domingo Indian Pueblo in New Mexico (about 25 miles south of Santa Fe and 35 miles north of Albuquerque - or pretty much "smack-dab" in the middle) by one of their skilled artisans - the exact maker may never be known due to the age of the piece, but we have a pretty good idea from the way the jaclas at the bottom are attached.

There are ten strands of hand ground clamshell and natural turquoise heishi.  The turquoise jaclas (jaclas were actually worn as earrings by the Indian women - when not being worn in the ears, they were usually tied onto the bottoms of their necklaces) are connected permanently with what is known as a "squaw wrap", which you typically see at the neck of a necklace.  Each of the heishi beads measures approx. 3/8" wide by 1/8" tall - and, in true tradition, there are real, red coral beads at the tops of the jaclas.

The necklace measures a total of approximately 21.5" in length - 15.5" from the neck wrap to the bottom of the white shells, and another 6" for the turquoise jaclas.  This beauty weighs in at 275 gms., or approx. 10 ounces - the equivalent of a can of Campbell's Soup!

I was told the 86 year-old woman and her husband purchased this in the 1960s, directly from the Santo Domingo Pueblo.  My Mom has beautiful pieces of jewelry from Santo Domingo as well, and I remember visiting it as a small child.  While the woman said she could remember very little detail, in all actuality with the time frame, it is very likely that it was purchased out of this iconic trading post, on the reservation.

While the bright signage was intended to attract tourists and was common at roadside trading posts and curio shops during the early 20th century (black and white photo is circa 1954), the post also served as an important source of food stuffs and finished goods for neighboring tribal residents of the Santo Domingo Pueblo.  President JFK was said to have visited the post in 1962 (see the small round sign on the post in the right hand side of the color photo - photo circa 1971).

The post was constructed in 1922, adjacent to the railroad and a small highway that would later become a short-lived alignment of Route 66.  This two-story building was constructed just north of an older trading post that dated to 1880, and was used as a warehouse by the owners of the new post.

The trading post was nearly destroyed by fire in 2001, and has undergone more than a million dollars worth of renovation.  NPS grants through the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program have helped provide stabilization measures in 2007, and a 2013 grant helped to restore the historic facade painting.  It is scheduled for a grand reopening this July 9th - click here for more info:

NEW MEXICO EVENTS

Also called Kewa Pueblo now, residents of the pueblo maintain their traditional religious practices and social structure to this day.  The pueblo has a long history of producing, trading, and sell crafts, especially jewelry and pottery.  You can visit the pueblo and still observe the traditional way of life there, even attending ceremonial events such as the corn dance, held every year on August 4th.  As with any of the pueblos, there are rules to be followed before attending.  For more information, check out: 

PUEBLO of SANTO DOMINGO/NPS.GOV or 

SANTO DOMINGO TRIBE

Bottom (color) photo is part of the modern day Santo Domingo pueblo...notice the ceremonial Kiva in the middle of the photo.  If you get a hankerin' to travel this summer, legendary Route 66 holds some pretty remarkable treasures throughout the American Southwest.  And me, I'm tickled to death to have my hands on this remarkable treasure of my own.  Plans are to keep it as pristine as it is now, but to love and WEAR it...gently.  This was made to be seen - after 50 years of storage, it's time!

And, I'll leave you with this...not all my SW jewelry is Native American made.  As I stressed in the last post, collect what "calls" to you - collect what YOU like - collect what you LOVE.

If it's important to you WHO made it, do a little research (these were made by an Anglo artisan in NM, and I loved them the minute I set eyes on them, so they're mine now).

PLEASE be cognizant of knockoffs, those selling them, and who they might be affecting with their dishonesty, other than you and your purchase.  There are true and honest artisans out there who would LOVE to sell you something made from their heart, without trying to pull the wool over your eyes!  Happy Tuesday...hope you do some travelin' this week - whether in a car or just wanderin' someplace wonderful in your mind!  XOXO

OH, GIVE ME A HOME...TED TURNER'S WOULD BE NICE...Travel Tuesday

Where the buffalo roam...

Where the deer...

And the antelope...

And the antelope play (they both have neck stripes - I may have gotten confused). Disclaimer:  This one is a "stock photo" from a NM.gov site - the antelope were plentiful, but the car was traveling too fast for my own shot - they're out there, though!

 Where seldom is heard...

 A discouraging word...

Along the road that leads from the dinosaur in Taos to Cimarron, New Mexico (or as we like to refer to it, the "back way" home to Denver), there are some pretty spectacular sights to be seen.  Deer; antelope; the cliffs and palisades (think fences or walls around a fortress) of Palisades Sill.  The age of the Palisades Sill has been estimated at between 26 million and 34.7 million years...I wasn't too far off with the dinosaur, evidently!

Camping, fishing, hiking - all in one breathtaking spot.  For more information, click on the link!

CIMARRON CANYON STATE PARK, NM

And just down the road from that, we ran across THIS!

A glimpse of what life across the United States plains used to look like, on a far more minuscule scale.  Imagine these plains COVERED with dark brown, as far as your eyes could see!

This private herd of possibly 200-300 head of buffalo was awe-inspiring enough - it's hard to believe, and indeed sobering, that these magnificent beasts were almost obliterated from the face of this earth by man's stupidity and greed.

A highly electrified fence (buffalo need extremely sturdy fences to keep them where they should be - they can make short work of an ordinary fence in no time), and no tripod to rest upon, made my distance shots a little hard.

This is a beautiful, obviously well-cared-for herd - we were certainly glad we took the "back way" home.

And now, in researching my own photos, I find that Vermejo Park Ranch is owned by none other than media mogul, Ted Turner - 600,000 acres worth (or about 3/4 the size of the state of Rhode Island - what a shame, huh?!) of prime beauty, stretching from NM to CO.  "A TURNING POINT IN TURNER COUNTRY"

These were taken from the side of the lowly road outside the ranch (thankfully it wasn't snake season, as I was in some serious, knee-high weeds along that road)...I can only imagine the inside - this is as close a look as I'll ever be able to afford.  This was more than enough for me!

 A young bull, surveying his "wealth".  Here's to getting out and surveying some of your own wealth in the coming, warmer months.  More Travel Tuesdays to follow, possibly with just enough inspiration for someone to make their own plans.  There's SO much to see out there - time's a wastin'!

...and the skies are not cloudy all day!

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO...The Pendleton Bags, and a Wintry Glimpse at the Inspirational Town of SANTA FE, NM on "TRAVEL TUESDAY"...

And then there were TWO!  Revisiting the Pendleton Bag post from last summer, where my Mom and I purchased a mighty wool blanket in Santa Fe, solely for selfish fashion purposes.

Summoning up courage to take scissors to it took quite some time - hers came first...

Mine was finished during the past two weeks - two beautiful bags from one lovely, lovely blanket.  The Mexican silver pins belonged to my great-grandmother, and were destined for this - no longer relegated to the dark, top drawer of the dresser.  The blanket turned out to be such a great investment, we did it AGAIN, this January...ahhhh, January.  I know my friends in the Midwest and on the east coast cringe at the thought, but I wish it was back, already!  We are high eighties, with scorpions galore (including the one in the house last night - they go underground when the temps drop, and I don't see them for a few glorious months).  I hate scorpions!  With a passion!  

ALWAYS an inspiration, Santa Fe in the winter is quiet and beautiful - definitely the "off" tourist season.  We popped into town for three days, met by below freezing temps but no snow (the trip back did provide freezing fog, however).  This is the breathtaking Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, in the heart of old town.

Daytime was a little crisp, but it's quite a different experience walking the town without droves of tourists to contend with - not that we don't consider ourselves well within that definition.  It's just a "different", relaxing atmosphere - and FAR cooler than the beautiful, but beastly hot summer months.  You can also find lodging at off-peak rates in the winter months, which is an added plus.

Mariachi Buenaventura - always a fun drawing point for one of our local haunts (Tomasita's).  The all-female Mariachi group performs on Tuesday evenings.  The music is as wonderful as the musically gifted girls are beautiful.

A walk through the deserted streets on our way to dinner provided a far different look from daytime, for a favorite shop - the one where the newest Pendleton was purchased (a stunning grey and white one with red crosses...scissors are almost ready to fly on that one, now that the nerves are out of the way with the first two bags).  This window display - beautiful and ominous at the same time - belies the rest of the Native American treasures housed within.  This is a DEFINITE must-see - THE RAINBOW MAN on Palace Avenue.

Which led us to this dark "alleyway" next door, through which we wandered to our newest culinary discovery in town - one we have avoided in the past, for fear of it being more of a "touristy" spot (we tend to frequent the "locals" eating spots outside of town, for the more authentic stuff - OK, we're looking for the hot stuff).  We couldn't have been more wrong, all these years...

And, I hesitate to let the cat out of the bag (though I realize we were probably the last people to know about this joint, sadly), for fear of dining overload leading to us not being able to get a seat, but it's FABULOUS!!! - all the way around.  THE SHED has been cooking up incredible New Mexican meals since 1953.  Situated in a brightly painted hacienda that dates to 1692 - outstanding traditional dishes featuring Hatch, NM green chilies, blue corn tortillas, and a surprising twist in french garlic bread to sop up all the goodness.

Santa Fe in winter - a definite must see...from beauty and the beast, margaritas and fabulous regional cuisine...and bag inspiration - leading to MORE bags.  It's a hot town, even in the cold!

SANTA FE IN JANUARY on "TRAVEL TUESDAY"

Short on words today - quiet like Santa Fe in January. Those who read here know how much I love this beautiful Southwest town. Craving Margaritas and a change of scenery, we made a quick trip a few days into the new year.  Luminarias were still in place atop most buildings around town - shadows were long, and it never reached higher than 30 degrees daytime.

Night shots through margarita colored glasses - feeling warm enough (on the inside, at least) for a quick walk through town...no tripod, but a few "acceptable" shots of those little paper bags, lit. Most of these are electric, as they burn all night.  SW charming, for sure!  HUGE pocket watch stands at the side of the Plaza. The closer I got (damnable drink!), the "huger" it seemed to get...tick, tick, TICK...

And the stranger 100 dollar bills looked through Gallery windows - like they were looking back at me, and I couldn't figure out who that President was!

Daytime in the Plaza/winter - not as bustling as the touristy summer months, which leaves plenty of space available for hacky sack among friends.

Sights around town under crisp blue, New Mexico skies - ristras, flags flying, bronze bovines, and the St. Francis Cathedral looming over the Plaza.

Another beautiful bronze outside a Gallery.  Had I seen this the night before, under Margarita skies, I might have believed it real!

Adobe walls, the Loretto Chapel, and antique blankets hung in windows- this beautiful town speaks volumes of history.

And those beautiful blue skies tend to turn into...

this, in the evenings.  Captured on our way to dinner...a quick shout to "Stop the car!  Please!", and a run back to one of the standout spots in town.

Just west of the Santa Fe Plaza, stands the El Santuaria de Guadalupe Church.   Built in 1781, the church is now an art and history museum.

Housing the Archdiocese's of Santa Fe's collection of New Mexico Santos (carved images of the Saints), as well as Italian Renaissance paintings and Mexican Baroque paintings.

I must admit to not being inside of this, as I really thought it was just a beautiful old church...it was a spectacular focal piece for the sunset that night, however.

The town of Santa Fe is SO full of art, up and down the main streets, that we have never really thought to look farther than the "old stomping grounds"...

This, however, just made it onto the "to do" list for a future trip.

Always worth a look, the town of Santa Fe - go for the local beauty and charm...stay for the sunsets, and then head for the Margaritas!