$2,100.00
Long before Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum Guild Fair became internationally recognized destinations for Native art, the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial was the premier event celebrating Native American culture and artistry. Founded in 1922,
First Prize Winner — Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial, 1967
Bisbee Turquoise & Sterling Silver
Long before Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum Guild Fair became internationally recognized destinations for Native art, the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial was the premier event celebrating Native American culture and artistry. Founded in 1922, the Ceremonial brought artists, dancers, silversmiths, and traders from across the Southwest to what must have felt like a very remote corner of New Mexico at the time.
This extraordinary cuff by the late Zuni artist Robert Leekya captures that important era of Native American jewelry history.
The bracelet was created as a watch cuff, though it never actually held a watch, allowing the craftsmanship itself to remain the focus. Even more remarkable, the piece still retains its original blue ribbon from the 1967 Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial, where it won First Prize. The ribbon remains attached and is signed by the event judges, giving the bracelet exceptional provenance and historical significance.
Robert Leekya was the son of the legendary “Old Man” Leekya, one of the most respected Zuni fetish carvers of the twentieth century. While his father became famous for stone carving, Robert developed his own artistic legacy through silver and stonework, and this cuff clearly demonstrates the level of craftsmanship that earned recognition at one of the Southwest’s most important Native art competitions.
What stands out immediately is the heavy sterling silver construction. Thick silver work is not always associated with Zuni jewelry of the period, making this cuff especially striking. The bracelet is set with precise square-cut Bisbee turquoise in a beautifully executed channel inlay design. After nearly sixty years, the stones still display the rich deep blue color and distinctive lavender-brown matrix that made Bisbee turquoise one of the most sought-after American turquoise mines.
The cuff is both a wearable work of art and a documented piece of Native American jewelry history — a rare surviving example tied directly to one of the most important cultural events in Gallup’s history.
Wrist Size – 7 1/4″ Width – 1 1/4″ Weight – 2.8 ozt
Artist – Robert Leekya
Tribe – Zuni
Stone – Bisbee Turquoise
Metal – Sterling Silver
Award – First Prize, Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial
Date – 1967
Provenance – Original award ribbon included
1 in stock
