Necklace with Antler Tips

Weldon Merchant, Necklace with Antler Tips, ca. 1975, silver, deer antler, and leather, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1975.157
Copied Weldon Merchant, Necklace with Antler Tips, ca. 1975, silver, deer antler, and leather, height x length: 2 1⁄2 x 25 3⁄8 in. (6.5 x 64.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1975.157

Artwork Details

Title
Necklace with Antler Tips
Artist
Date
ca. 1975
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
height x length: 2 1⁄2 x 25 3⁄8 in. (6.5 x 64.5 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
silver, deer antler, and leather
Classifications
Object Number
1975.157
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1975.157

Artwork Description

The materials in Necklace with Antler Tips refer to Weldon Merchant’s experiences growing up in rural Mississippi and his interest in Native American history and artifacts. Merchant constructed this piece from ten antler tips of various sizes and separated them with carved silver beads. The clasp is made of two more antler tips capped with a hook-and-eye fastener. The silver shows Merchant’s familiarity with the blacksmithing traditions of settlers, while the antler tips may allude to hunting as a means of survival among Native Americans.