Hopi Cotton Wood Earrings

These are very typical of Hopi style earrings.  Originally the leftover crushed turquoise was adhered to the locally found Cotton Wood with pine pitch.  This pair has cut turquoise rather than the crushed form found in the very early turn of the century examples.  Sadly the photo does not show the radiance in the centre Mother of pearl, nor the fabulous changes of light in the different colours of turquoise.
Washington passed away in 1963, these earrings are one of his last exhibits  1961 for the Museum of Northern Arizona-Hopi Show.