Bolo

New Mexico State Tie

bolotiebolatiesymbol.jpg

Bolo tie

Bolo tie; photo by Jessa Dow-Anderson / Different Seasons Jewelry  on Flickr (use permitted with attribution).

Official State Tie of New Mexico

New Mexico designated the bolo as the official state tie in 2007 (New Mexico also adopted an official state necklace in 2011). All Cultural Heritage Symbols

A bolo tie (also called bola tie) is a type of necktie consisting of a piece of cord or braided leather with decorative metal tips secured with an ornamental clasp or slide. Boleadoras or bolas (from Spanish bola, which means "ball") are throwing weapons made of weights attached to the end of cords.

Bolo tie slides and tips in silver have been part of Hopi, Navajo, and Zuni silversmithing traditions since the mid-20th century. Bolo ties are widely associated with Western wear (the "bola tie" is also an official symbol of Arizona - the state neckwear).

New Mexico

Images

Hand-carved bolo tie; photo by Jessa Dow-Anderson / Different Seasons Jewelry  on Flickr (use permitted with attribution).

Turquoise and coral bola tie made by Navajo & Zuni Indians in Arizona or New Mexico; photo from Gold Mountain Mining Company (all rights reserved; used by permission).

Turquoise and coral bola tie

Zuni inlay bola tie made by Navajo & Zuni American Indians in Arizona or New Mexico; photo from Gold Mountain Mining Company (used by permission).

Zuni inlay bola tie

Videos

Bolo Ties: Statement Pieces of the Southwest | On the Road: Albuquerque