Description

 
Monty Claw is a much-awarded artist in fine beadwork, painting, and jewelry, as well. And, he is largely self-taught!

He has work in numerous museum collections and has been featured in many national publications, including Smithsonian Magazine, the official magazine for the Smithsonian Museum.

This impressive bracelet is true tufa-cast silver, with a wonderful – and unusual – three-dimensional Spider sitting atop the cuff!

When silver has been cast from tufa, a naturally occurring, compressed sand of volcanic origin, it is very difficult to create delicate designs, since the material is so crumbly.

The design is carved into a slab of tufa that has been sawn into two horizontal layers – like a cake. Molten silver is then poured into the design, and covered with the top half of the slab, with the excess poured out, through a small carved spout.

When cool, the rough silver design is pried out, leaving the friable tufa material only good for possibly one further casting. More often; not.

Then the artist must refine, shape, and finish the piece, adding stones, if that is part of the design, and polishing away as much of the grainy tufa texture as the artist’s vision dictates.

So, this bracelet, with its cut-out (remember, they’re not actually cut-out – they’re carved and cast!) areas is amazing in its virtuosity.

“The Weaver” is a true masterpiece, with its composition something most could never imagine, let alone execute.

Make a statement with this beautiful cuff, and all you’ll hear are “ooohs” and “ahs”!

Additional information