Native American Bolo Ties in Silver & Turquoise

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At a Glance:

Design: Native American extra-large Eagle Dancer kachina bolo tie
Stone: Seven turquoise cabochons consistent with Turquoise Mountain material
Color: Seven vivid blue matched turquoise stones
Accent: Five red-orange coral accents with layered silver appliqués, twisted-wire borders, fan and wing elements, and added hand-fabricated silverwork applied to the main slide
Metal: .925 sterling silver
Artist: Signed "M" stylized initial associated with Navajo artist Pete Morgan | Broken Arrow Traders shop mark, associated with Kay Johnson
Era: Late 20th century
Status: Signed and shop-stamped large-scale Southwestern collector bolo tie
Condition: Very Fine — see SCJ Vintage Condition Guide

Specifications: 

• Wear scale: extra-large statement slide — spans the upper chest
• Largest turquoise: 1" x 5/8" (bezel to bezel)
• Slide: 6 3/4" x 5"
• Total length (including tips): 38 1/2"
• Cord: thick, black braided leather with light wear from slide movement
• Tips & ferrules condition: heavy-gauge sterling, gently worn with moderate patina
• Clasp: double-ring slide back
• Weight: 180.9 grams

Gallery Note:

This Eagle Dancer kachina bolo tie is a dramatic 1980s Navajo-Anglo Southwestern workshop statement piece produced under the Broken Arrow Traders brand and bearing a Pete Morgan-associated hallmark. Its oversized figural form, layered construction, and weight place it firmly within the bold studio-made tradition collected as wearable Southwest art.

The striking Eagle Dancer with outstretched wings is a motif deeply rooted in Hopi and Pueblo ceremonial tradition, and it became widely adopted in 20th-century commercial Southwestern jewelry produced across tribal lines. The piece is richly adorned with saturated blue turquoise cabochons and red-orange coral accents; together, these stones create a dynamic contrast against the dark sterling surface. The intricate silverwork on the slide and the fully dressed leather embellished with substantial sterling tips and ferrules add dimension, movement, and a commanding presence to the piece. 

This bolo tie has the scale and visual force of sculptural jewelry rather than conventional Southwestern neckwear. It is especially suited to collectors drawn to extra-large pieces, kachina-inspired design, and high-impact Native American jewelry forms.

Hallmark & Maker Notes: 

This bolo carries two stamped marks: a stylized capital M and the shop mark of Broken Arrow Traders, the Arizona-based silversmithing workshop operated by Kay Johnson, an Anglo artisan known for handmade sterling Southwestern jewelry in the traditional bench-made tradition. Johnson works alongside Bruce Johnson, identified in market-level post information as his son, a fellow silversmith and goldsmith involved in the shop’s active inventory and secondary-market presence.

The stylized M on this piece appears to be a variant form and does not match the standard Pete Morgan hallmark documented in major reference guides. A Navajo jewelry specialist reviewed photos of the hallmark and informally attributed the mark to Pete Morgan — a Navajo (Diné) silversmith and member of one of the better-known families in contemporary Navajo revival silverwork. Pete is the brother of the late master silversmith Harry Morgan and sandcast artist Henry Morgan, and the nephew of silversmiths Charlie Bitsui and Ike Wilson, both prominently represented in the historic C.G. Wallace Collection. The specialist noted that she has seen this same variant mark on other Broken Arrow Traders pieces, supporting a possible recurring workshop association between Pete Morgan and Kay Johnson's shop rather than a one-time occurrence.

SCJ presents this piece as a dual-marked, shop-stamped Broken Arrow Traders bolo tie with a Pete Morgan-associated hallmark. It is best understood within the collaborative world of Southwestern workshop production, where maker, shop, and market attribution can overlap in complex but meaningful ways.

✨ Collector inquiries are welcome. SCJ is open to thoughtful questions, documented observations, and new information that deepens the story of a piece. With permission, selected comments from our Members may be featured in our upcoming Collectors Circle Insights publications.

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At a Glance:

Design: Native American compact bolo tie with turquoise cabochon and claw, in a classic Western slide form
Stone: Turquoise visually consistent with Sleeping Beauty material 
Color: Saturated blue turquoise with minimal matrix
Accent: Genuine animal claw, visually consistent with bear based on morphology, framed by raised leaf appliqués
Metal: .925 sterling silver (unmarked)
Attribution: Consistent with Navajo work
Era: Likely 1980s
Status: Unsigned and unstamped vintage Native American bolo tie with clip-style clasp
Condition: Very Fine — see SCJ Vintage Condition Guide

Specifications:

• Wear scale: traditional small-to-medium bolo slide size
• Stone: 3/4" x 11/16" (bezel to bezel)
• Slide: 2 1/4" x 1 1/2"
• Total length (including tips): 45" 
• Cord: like-new black braided leather with light marks from installation through the slide clip
• Tips condition: gently worn with light patina
• Clasp: unmarked clip-style
• Weight: 51.1 grams
  

Gallery Note:

This handcrafted Native American bolo tie is unsigned, a detail consistent with many mid- to-late 20th century Navajo pieces. In the absence of a hallmark, the piece speaks through its materials, silverwork, and composition, which align with Diné jewelry traditions. The pairing of turquoise and claw has deep roots in Native American jewelry, bringing together stone, silver, and natural elements in a compact Western format.

The turquoise provides a vivid blue focus, while hand-chased leaf appliqués frame the composition with quiet restraint. The genuine animal claw features a warm honey-amber tone — lighter than the dark brown or near-black examples most collectors encounter. While the lighter color may initially suggest cougar, the morphology — specifically the broad base and gradual arc — is more consistent with bear, as mountain lion claws tend to be slender and more sharply curved. We present this claw here as genuine and visually consistent with a bear, with the lighter amber tone noted for collectors who want to examine it further.

Finished with black braided leather and gently patinated silver tips, this bolo has the grounded presence collectors look for in traditional Navajo work — symbolic, rooted in heritage, and timeless.

Hallmark & Maker Notes: