As part of our coral and spondylus presentation, we are including this very special fine spondylus shell (or spiny oyster) heishi necklace by Terry and Joe Reano. The piece is a beautiful example of a necklace made of entirely handrolled and handcut spondylus beads. In a painstaking process, Terry and Joe Reano have graduated the size of the beads in the necklace - the beads at the top are smaller, and they get larger closer to the necklace's center. There is one lapis bead up towards the top of the necklace. The center of the piece has hand-formed spondylus tabs representing corn. Since corn is food and therefore life to the Pueblo people, corn depicted on a necklace suggests a blessing, something good to protect the wearer. The piece attaches with silver cones that are signed "TCR" and "JBR". Terry and Joe Reano are among the premiere bead makers of Santo Domingo. Having both grown up there, Terry learned to make these beads as a child, and Joe has served on the Pueblo council. Their joint fame is certainly because every single bead of theirs is always made entirely by hand, the traditional way - shell is cut out and handrolled in a metate grinding stone - even the holes in the beads are drilled by hand. The necklace hangs 10 1/4" long.