Charles Loloma

Hopi Maiden Pendant

To create Hopi Maiden Pendant, artist Charles Loloma poured liquid gold into the mold of a porous carved stone. The impressions in the gold cast emulate a female body wearing a manta, a blanket traditionally worn over one shoulder by Hopi women that extends to the knees and includes a woven belt. Loloma, who belonged to the Hopi Pueblo in northeastern Arizona, delicately carved thin shapes into the turquoise stone, representing the maiden’s eyes and mouth. These shapes mirror Hopi styles of facial features on Kachina dolls, a recurrent cultural inspiration in Loloma’s work. The maiden is adorned with a miniature shell bead necklace, like those made in the Hopi community to this day. With Hopi Maiden Pendant, Loloma brought inspiration from his cultural experiences into his jewelry-making practice. His use of gold and Lander Blue turquoise, a rare stone discovered and mined only one year before this pendant was created, reflects his reverence for the Hopi Maiden as a cultural symbol.