Split Racetrack Tufa Cast All-Sterling Silver Cuff by Bennie Bowakaty, Zuni

Bennie Bowakaty, a Zuni silversmith, carved a split racetrack design into volcanic tufa stone molds and cast molten sterling silver to produce this minimalist cuff — the parallel track channels creating visual rhythm and deliberate negative space. Tufa casting is an ancient Southwest silversmithing technique in which the mold is carved from soft volcanic tufa stone; the surface texture of the mold is preserved in the final piece, producing a distinctive matte, granular finish. Bowakaty is a respected Zuni artist whose tufa cast work is unusual within Zuni silversmithing, where needlepoint and channel inlay are more traditional forms. Available exclusively through Turquoise Mustang.