RARE original Mary Coriz [Kewa] 10-strand Ivory White Heishi Necklace 36 inches long. [MC10W.1905]

American Indian Antique Art and Southwest Native Originals

With deep respect for Mary, her family and the Kewa People, we offer this beautiful, rare, irreplaceable Mary Coriz original.  Sadly, Kewa artisan Mary Coriz passed away in 2021.  She was renowned for creating her unique and superb 10-strand, ivory white heishi clam shell necklaces like this one, with the traditional “Pueblo-wrap” neck loop.  In recent years, Mary produced only a limited number of these famous necklaces, which became rare on the market even before her passing in 2021.  In 2019, pre-Covid, we custom ordered 5 of these necklaces from Mary and consider it a privilege that she created them for us in 2019, including this one.  It has never been sold or worn by anyone prior to this, so it is a “new”, rare, unique and beautiful Mary Coriz “original”. 

         Necklace total length is approximately 36”, with approximately 24” of Ivory-white clam shell heishi beads on each strand, and 12” of Pueblo wrap neck loop of waxed carpet string.  Weight 287 grams.  Each necklace strand contains over 300 heishi beads, resulting in a total of over 3000 hand-strung heishi on the 10 strands!

         Heishi beads vary in thickness from 0.02” to 0.18”, and diameter varies from approximately 0.17-0.2".    They are hand-strung on waxed carpet string and the neck loop is hand-finished with a traditional ‘Pueblo-wrap’ of waxed carpet string approximately 0.2” diameter.  Clam shell heishi beads are generally circular, with minor shape and thickness imperfections due to natural shell characteristics and effects of heishi shell cutting, polishing and hole-drilling.

Price.  $1500 USD, including insured ship to USA 48 states and DC.

CALL 703-801-2565 to discuss purchase and ship options.  To protect your health and the integrity of this rare, irreplaceable art: NO RETURNS, refunds or exchanges.
Buy with Confidence! (1) Written authenticity guarantee from 28 yr. member of Authentic Tribal Art Dealers Asso. [ATADA.org]. (2) Virus-FREE!  We, our inventory and our packing materials have been well protected from any Covid or other infectious  virus exposures.  (3) To protect YOUR HEALTH and ours:  our home and inventory storage are chemical-free, fragrance-free, mold-free, virus-free.

Written Authenticity Guarantee:  10-strand ivory white clam shell heishi necklace hand-strung and hand-wrapped with traditional ‘Pueblo-wrap’ style neck loop, by Kewa Native American necklace artist, Mary Coriz, in 2019.  Total length approx. 36" including 12" Pueblo-wrap neck loop and 24" of ivory white clam shell heishi beads on each strand.  Weight approx. 287 grams.  New 2019 and not previously sold, worn, or used by anyone.

Comments.   Mary used skills and knowledge passed down over hundreds and thousands of years by her Kewa ancestors.  The skill and knowledge for finishing a necklace with the traditional ‘Pueblo-wrap’ neck loop is disappearing, and Mary was one of its skilled artisans.  Our appreciation for Mary’s necklaces increases even more when we consider that she hand-strung over 300 tiny white heishi beads on each of the 10 strands for a total of over 3000 heishi beads in the necklace.  Think about the time and patience required to do that and hand-wrap the neck loop with a traditional ‘Pueblo-wrap’. 

$1,500.00

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