Glittering World


Coral corn bracelet Lee A. Yazzie, late 1980s. Corn-motif bracelet with raised inlay, granulation, and inlaid sides. Coral, 14-karat gold. Height of inlay, .75". Collection of Michael and Leslie Bernstein


a gallery owner based in Scottsdale, Ariz. Ac- cording to Waddell, “What sets Lee apart from other jewelers is that most Native jewelry artists are either great metal-smiths or great inlayers. Lee Yazzie is both. His metalwork is unique, totally made by his own hands with no shortcuts in quality. His mosaic inlay complements the metalwork [but] does not distract. Its balance is sublime. Lee has the ability to use the material he selects to bring out the essence of each piece. The turquoise, coral and lapis become his palate of color to bring life to his inlay pieces.” With support and encouragement from


his wife Bessie and daughters Kimberly Lynn and Karen Leigh, he overcame numerous hardships and began to focus on his work more seriously in the late 1980s. Lee is best known for his use of turquoise,


a beautiful and diverse material that is mined in numerous locations throughout the South- west. Each mine produces turquoise with dis- tinctive qualities of color, matrix (the various impurities that add visual complexity), hard- ness and luminosity. Lee is so particular about his materials he has been known to hold up commissions until he has found the perfect stone. This sense of patience and perfection has led to the creation of magnificent works of art that have propelled traditional Navajo art forms to a new level.


72 AMERICAN INDIAN SUMMER/FALL 2014


Lapis bracelet Lee A. Yazzie, 1984. Lapis lazuli, 18-karat gold. National Museum of the American Indian. 25/6257


PHOTO: © KIYOSHI TOGASHI


PHOTO BY ERNEST AMOROSO


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