Running Horses Mapuche Silver Bracelet

Mapuche Jewelry | Photo: Juan Carlos Gedda O

The Running Horses Bracelet is a fusion of ancestral Mapuche designs, reinterpreted through traditional Mapuche silversmithing. The chain combines two historic elements: the traditional links used in Trarilonkos and Trapelakucha, sacred adornments worn on the head and at the center of the chest by Mapuche women, together with the Kilkay link, a distinctive form traditionally used in Mapuche necklaces since the earliest days of Mapuche silverwork.

By bringing these elements together, the piece honors centuries of cultural design while offering a contemporary expression of this living tradition.

In Mapuche culture, silver is considered sacred and protective. According to ancestral belief, silver originates from the tears of the moon. The moon, seen as a generator of life in nature, governs the cycles that influence the growth and rhythms of the earth. Because of this connection, silver is believed to carry protective energy. Silver is also deeply connected to the feminine spirit, reflecting the woman’s role as a giver of life and harmony within the natural world.

The horses incorporated into the bracelet symbolize freedom, the freedom of movement and the vast open landscapes where life unfolds.