Description
An extraordinary pendant from an innovative artist. A Choctaw, who has lived and worked in California for many years, George Willis creates jewelry that is very different in technique and inspiration from those of other, southwestern, artists.
His original designs and technical expertise have been recognized throughout the nation, and abroad.
This reversible pendant exhibits his use of traditional Plains symbols and unusual materials. The horse, preeminent for Plains tribes, is featured in 14-karat gold against a darkened silver background.
He is galloping over applied plant forms, creating the illusion of grassy plains. Above, an uneven chunk of polished, bumblebee jasper stands in for cliffs and rocky terrain.
The dramatic streak of bright orange blends in with the yellow gold, and the golden, grey and neutral hues of the rest of the stone .
The edge of the silver frame is textured, while the bail is highly polished. But there is even more!
Twirl the pendant, and a completely different, but related, piece is revealed. This side is all silver, with a dramatic piece of the jasper seen through a cut out, for a splash of vivid color.
The sky is dark, with a few abstract clouds; the cut out is formed so the stone looks like a distant mountain range, and the silver horse gallops over a more complex depiction of the earth beneath him.
There is a wondrous combination of dark, matte, gleaming, and textured silver with that riveting splash of bright orange jasper as an accent. The frame here is also textured silver.
With his creative wheels always whirling, this jeweler makes exceptional pieces that are often dual-purpose, as in this amazing pendant.
His work will be in museums one day, for their extraordinary individuality, uncommon materials and superior hand fabrication.
Dimensions:
Width: 1 1/4″ Height: 3 1/4″ Depth: 1/2″
