Quintin Quam Sr. | Zuni Pueblo | Monumental Pictorial Mosaic Inlay
Her name is Beatrice.
Beatrice has concerns.
Several.
And she would like to discuss them RIGHT FUCKING NOW.
This magnificent little psychopath is a Blue Jay, rendered in pictorial mosaic inlay by Zuni artist Quintin Quam Sr.
And I don’t know how Quam managed to capture the fundamental personality of a Blue Jay using pieces of turquoise and shell, but somehow:
There she is.
Beatrice is hanging onto a birch-like tree, turquoise tail flying behind her, head turned sharply to the side like someone approximately three houses away has done something she specifically asked them not to do.
The entire scene is surrounded by turquoise, coral-colored and warm shell mosaic, with these wonderful abstract botanical forms exploding above and below her.
And once again, the scale is completely unreasonable.
Approximately three inches long.
Forty grams.
Size 11.
This isn’t really a ring anymore.
It’s a tiny Zuni wildlife portrait that has somehow acquired zoning authority.
WHY THIS PIECE MATTERS
Every one of these monumental Quam birds is showing us something slightly different.
Penelope gives us abundance.
Arthur gives us restraint.
Archibald gives us contrast.
And Beatrice gives us movement.
Look at the pose.
She isn’t simply perched.
Her body crosses the composition diagonally. Her tail sweeps downward and outward. Her head turns in the opposite direction. The tree creates another vertical line running directly through the scene.
The whole composition feels alive.
Then look at how Quam actually constructs the Blue Jay.
Turquoise defines the unmistakable blue of the bird, while white shell creates the breast and belly. Black detailing defines the face and characteristic markings, and tiny separately worked sections create the feathers of the wing.
Even the tree becomes part of the mosaic.
This isn’t a bird placed on top of a background.
The bird, tree and surrounding landscape are all constructed together as an image.
That’s pictorial inlay doing what it does best.
It’s storytelling through material.
ARTIFACT REGISTRY
Artifact: Beatrice — The Blue Jay Ring
Maker: Quintin Quam Sr.
People: Zuni Pueblo
Origin: Zuni, New Mexico
Materials: Sterling silver with turquoise, shell and multistone mosaic inlay
Subject: Blue Jay among tree and botanical imagery
Technique: Pictorial mosaic inlay
Form: Monumental statement ring
Ring Size: 11
Face: Approx. 3 inches long
Weight: 40 grams
Hallmarks: Q QUAM SR. / ZUNI / STERLING
Collector’s Gallery Value: $2,700
CURATOR’S FIELD OBSERVATION
Beatrice has one of my favorite compositions in the group because Quam uses the entire three-inch field.
The Blue Jay isn’t confined neatly to the center.
Her body moves diagonally through the piece while the tree rises behind her, allowing the subject and environment to become visually intertwined.
Then Quam frames that naturalistic scene with geometric color.
Turquoise dominates, appropriately, but it’s interrupted by warm reds, oranges, yellows and shell tones.
That color relationship is fantastic because it makes the cool turquoise bird jump forward from the warmer architecture surrounding her.
And then there’s the face.
One tiny turn of the head gives the entire bird personality.
She’s not posing.
She’s reacting to something.
That tiny storytelling decision is exactly what separates great pictorial jewelry from merely technically impressive inlay.
ARTIFACT CHARACTER RECORD
Name: Beatrice
Species: Blue Jay
Occupation: Neighborhood Compliance Officer.
This position does not exist.
Beatrice created it.
Temperament: Alert. Opinionated. Extremely confident that this concerns her.
Natural Habitat: Trees overlooking other people’s business.
Known For: Knowing exactly what everyone on the block is doing.
Special Ability: Can detect an improperly placed trash bin from approximately 1.7 miles away.
Favorite Activity: Investigating.
Second Favorite Activity: Reporting the findings of her investigation to absolutely everyone.
Known Associates: Archibald.
Archibald possesses information.
Beatrice possesses rumors.
This distinction is important.
Mildly Concerning Behavior: Has memorized everyone’s schedule despite repeatedly claiming she “doesn’t pay attention to that stuff.”
Threat Level: Moderate.
Not physically.
Socially.
Current Complaint: The branch situation.
Please don’t ask.
ERIC’S NOTES FROM THE FIELD
I fucking LOVE her.
Because look at the pose.
She isn’t sitting peacefully like Arthur.
She isn’t silently judging humanity like Archibald.
Beatrice has just heard some shit.
Her entire body is going one direction and her head has snapped around like:
“EXCUSE ME?”
And then you start looking at the actual craftsmanship.
The turquoise.
The white shell belly.
The little articulated wing.
The tail.
The fucking TREE.
And I love that Quam didn’t simply make a Blue Jay floating in the middle of the silver.
He gave her somewhere to exist.
That’s what makes these pieces so much fun.
Every one is becoming its own tiny world.
And every bird somehow has its own personality.
Penelope owns the garden.
Arthur owns the branch.
Archibald knows what happened.
And Beatrice?
Beatrice knows who did it.
Quintin Quam Sr. | Zuni Pueblo | Monumental Pictorial Mosaic Inlay
Her name is Beatrice.
Beatrice has concerns.
Several.
And she would like to discuss them RIGHT FUCKING NOW.
This magnificent little psychopath is a Blue Jay, rendered in pictorial mosaic inlay by Zuni artist Quintin Quam Sr.
And I don’t know how Quam managed to capture the fundamental personality of a Blue Jay using pieces of turquoise and shell, but somehow:
There she is.
Beatrice is hanging onto a birch-like tree, turquoise tail flying behind her, head turned sharply to the side like someone approximately three houses away has done something she specifically asked them not to do.
The entire scene is surrounded by turquoise, coral-colored and warm shell mosaic, with these wonderful abstract botanical forms exploding above and below her.
And once again, the scale is completely unreasonable.
Approximately three inches long.
Forty grams.
Size 11.
This isn’t really a ring anymore.
It’s a tiny Zuni wildlife portrait that has somehow acquired zoning authority.
WHY THIS PIECE MATTERS
Every one of these monumental Quam birds is showing us something slightly different.
Penelope gives us abundance.
Arthur gives us restraint.
Archibald gives us contrast.
And Beatrice gives us movement.
Look at the pose.
She isn’t simply perched.
Her body crosses the composition diagonally. Her tail sweeps downward and outward. Her head turns in the opposite direction. The tree creates another vertical line running directly through the scene.
The whole composition feels alive.
Then look at how Quam actually constructs the Blue Jay.
Turquoise defines the unmistakable blue of the bird, while white shell creates the breast and belly. Black detailing defines the face and characteristic markings, and tiny separately worked sections create the feathers of the wing.
Even the tree becomes part of the mosaic.
This isn’t a bird placed on top of a background.
The bird, tree and surrounding landscape are all constructed together as an image.
That’s pictorial inlay doing what it does best.
It’s storytelling through material.
ARTIFACT REGISTRY
Artifact: Beatrice — The Blue Jay Ring
Maker: Quintin Quam Sr.
People: Zuni Pueblo
Origin: Zuni, New Mexico
Materials: Sterling silver with turquoise, shell and multistone mosaic inlay
Subject: Blue Jay among tree and botanical imagery
Technique: Pictorial mosaic inlay
Form: Monumental statement ring
Ring Size: 11
Face: Approx. 3 inches long
Weight: 40 grams
Hallmarks: Q QUAM SR. / ZUNI / STERLING
Collector’s Gallery Value: $2,700
CURATOR’S FIELD OBSERVATION
Beatrice has one of my favorite compositions in the group because Quam uses the entire three-inch field.
The Blue Jay isn’t confined neatly to the center.
Her body moves diagonally through the piece while the tree rises behind her, allowing the subject and environment to become visually intertwined.
Then Quam frames that naturalistic scene with geometric color.
Turquoise dominates, appropriately, but it’s interrupted by warm reds, oranges, yellows and shell tones.
That color relationship is fantastic because it makes the cool turquoise bird jump forward from the warmer architecture surrounding her.
And then there’s the face.
One tiny turn of the head gives the entire bird personality.
She’s not posing.
She’s reacting to something.
That tiny storytelling decision is exactly what separates great pictorial jewelry from merely technically impressive inlay.
ARTIFACT CHARACTER RECORD
Name: Beatrice
Species: Blue Jay
Occupation: Neighborhood Compliance Officer.
This position does not exist.
Beatrice created it.
Temperament: Alert. Opinionated. Extremely confident that this concerns her.
Natural Habitat: Trees overlooking other people’s business.
Known For: Knowing exactly what everyone on the block is doing.
Special Ability: Can detect an improperly placed trash bin from approximately 1.7 miles away.
Favorite Activity: Investigating.
Second Favorite Activity: Reporting the findings of her investigation to absolutely everyone.
Known Associates: Archibald.
Archibald possesses information.
Beatrice possesses rumors.
This distinction is important.
Mildly Concerning Behavior: Has memorized everyone’s schedule despite repeatedly claiming she “doesn’t pay attention to that stuff.”
Threat Level: Moderate.
Not physically.
Socially.
Current Complaint: The branch situation.
Please don’t ask.
ERIC’S NOTES FROM THE FIELD
I fucking LOVE her.
Because look at the pose.
She isn’t sitting peacefully like Arthur.
She isn’t silently judging humanity like Archibald.
Beatrice has just heard some shit.
Her entire body is going one direction and her head has snapped around like:
“EXCUSE ME?”
And then you start looking at the actual craftsmanship.
The turquoise.
The white shell belly.
The little articulated wing.
The tail.
The fucking TREE.
And I love that Quam didn’t simply make a Blue Jay floating in the middle of the silver.
He gave her somewhere to exist.
That’s what makes these pieces so much fun.
Every one is becoming its own tiny world.
And every bird somehow has its own personality.
Penelope owns the garden.
Arthur owns the branch.
Archibald knows what happened.
And Beatrice?
Beatrice knows who did it.
