Guitar Covered With Turquoise Inlay By Native Artist Jolene Bird

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Guitar Covered With Turquoise Inlay By Native Artist Jolene Bird:
$30000.00

This is a musical instrument that plays but is also an art object, a three-dimensional sculpture by Native artist Jolene Bird. This is a Fender stratocaster solid body guitar which has been covered by Turquoise inlay like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle.

There are several different styles of inlay, each uniquely challenging in its own way and stone inlay is said to be the most challenging. This style of jewelry making began with the Zuni Pueblo Indigenous Tribes in the 1930's. Inlay of this style is created by hand grinding each stone to fit snugly against the other. It requires a very good eye and great precision to fit each stone snugly against the next without leaving gaps between the stones. Sort of a playable mosaic without the grout.

The old timers used strictly hand tools but now they use grinding and polishing wheels to do some of the work, which allows them to use a wider variety of stones that make their creations even more beautiful. As each stone is ground it is glued in place using industrial adhesive.

In the 1960s renowned artists like Richard Begay, Charles Loloma and Preston Monongye began working in inlay using a variety of stone, shell, ivory and even exotic wood to give them a multitude of colors. Santo Domingo artist Jolene Bird and her son Charles continue this legacy which requires a lifetime of skill, and a multitude of creativity as well as the ability and knowledge to construct a delicate piece that must be sturdy enough to stand the test of time .

This one-of-a-kind de piece features turquoise, coral, serpentine, onyx, mother of pearl, re abalone, pearl's, pipestone, jet, wampum and lapis.