[NATIVE AMERICAN] Murray Tonepahote Waterbird Earrings with an Associated Waterbird Pin

A pair of pendant earrings formed as waterbirds with elongated necks and broadly upswept wings. Fine incised lines articulate the feathers, while an outlined, leaf-shaped device occupies the center of each body. Four narrow metal pendants descend independently from each flared tail, extending the silhouette and introducing movement beneath the birds. The earrings retain wire fittings and a display card bearing a handwritten identification of the maker.

The accompanying pin offers a more compact interpretation of the same subject, with a long central neck, arched wings, and an engraved, tapering tail. It is mounted on an Oklahoma Indian Arts and Crafts Cooperative card, the reverse inscribed “By Bruce Caesar.” 

Murray Tonepahote worked within the Kiowa metalworking tradition centered on Anadarko, Oklahoma. Smithsonian collections include his earrings dated 1963 and a peyote rattle stickpin made about 1964,. 

The cooperative card supplies a further historical connection. In 1966, the Oklahoma Indian Arts and Crafts Cooperative and the Southern Plains Indian Museum collaborated to promote the production and sale of German silver jewelry. The Native-owned cooperative helped bring the work of regional metalsmiths to a wider audience.