These Western-inspired earrings combine authentic Indian Head Pennies, faceted pyrite stones, and chocolate deerskin leather tassels.
The Indian Head Cent, also known as the Indian Head Penny, was minted in the United States from 1859 to 1909. The depiction on the Indian Head Penny was intended to be the goddess Liberty, not a portrait of a Native American chief or even a man at all. But because Liberty is wearing a feathered headdress, the coin was incongruently named the Indian Head Cent.
Exact dates on coins will vary.
Earwires are copper. Goldfill earwires are available by request.
Total length is 7.5".
About Astali:
ASTALI Jewelry is designed and hand-made by Los Angeles-based artist, Shannon De Jong. Since her childhood in rural Iowa, she has been collecting discarded objects and re-purposing them into something new and useful. She eventually began to customize jewelry and would find ways to turn just about anything into an adornment.
Since moving to Los Angeles in 1997, Shannon has cultivated her passions for both music and jewelry. By night she performed with rock bands on her violin and viola. By day she worked behind the scenes for many successful L.A. jewelry designers. She worked her way from production, to sample-making, to design, and then onto management of both design and production teams. She always kept a home studio to refine her skills and design concepts. Her double life as a designer-by-day and rocker-by-night culminated in the birth of a line attributed to an alter-ego she named Jack Astali. As the line evolved, its subversive, rebellious nature emerged. Hallmarks of ASTALI designs include rugged and unexpected materials - bullet casings, fool's gold, snake vertebrae, buffalo teeth, vintage peepshow tokens, porcupine quills, reclaimed wood, and much more. ASTALI became a full-time endeavor when Shannon moved to New York in the Fall of 2008. After establishing her brand for 3 years on the East Coast, she has returned "home" to Los Angeles to build on that momentum from sunny California. She continues to re-purpose the objects she collects, finding inspiration equally at Natural History museums and flea markets.
