Hopi Hallmarks – A Journey From Past To Present
The history of hallmarks is rich and full of stories that intertwine the past and present in a complex matrix.
One of the chapters that arouses particular interest is that of the hallmarks used by the Hopi for their jewelry.
Nowadays, a lot of Hopi silver has the smith’s personal emblem etched on the back.
Hopi Hallmarks
Hallmarks became widely used on Hopi silver during the veterans’ classes in 1949.
In the 1930s, several of the older smiths marked their silver. Interestingly, in her 1939 letter, American artist, writer, educator, ethnographer, and curator Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton also asked them to do so, as Margaret Nickelson Wright wrote in her book Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing.
It is unlikely that many products were marked with the “U.S. Hopi” stamp, which was approved by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board in 1938. The sun emblem, the Hopi Silvercraft Guild’s logo, and the mark of the individual smith are used to identify silver made under its auspices.
Someone might purchase silver on his own, produce several pieces, and sell them because connections with the guild were not always consistent. He would be employed by the guild at the same time.
Therefore, jewelry bearing both the guild mark and the smith’s stamp, as well as pieces bearing just the smith’s mark, may have been purchased during the same time period.
Except for a few unique pieces, Hopicrafts employees used to mark their silver solely with the company’s insignia.
Later, a few of the smiths frequently engraved their initials on the Hopicrafts items. In most cases, the silversmiths’ marks are clan-specific emblems.
The Clan
Theoretically, a clan is a group of individuals who have a common progenitor. Since this line is passed down through the women among the Hopis, every child is a member of their mother’s clan.
According to Wright, there have been attempts to classify Hopi clans and clan membership. Clans tend to “go together.” A symbol from any one of them is regarded as one’s own clan symbol in certain situations.
Some of the groups are Rabbit and Tobacco; Badger and Butterfly; Sun, Sun’s Forehead, and Eagle; Waterhouse (Patki) and Young Corn (Pikyas); Snake and Lizard; Bear, Strap, and Spider (Antelope is also a member of this group); Snow and Fog; Kachina and Parrot. The father’s clan insignia was employed in at least one known case.
Given that a smith may select any mark he desired, other hallmarks were selected for no apparent reason.
In certain cases, a trademark might be reused. For example, Vemon Mansfield doubles Willard Nuvayauom’s feather mark.
Based on the information that is now accessible, the smiths are presented in roughly chronological sequence. To help with their identification, the marks are listed by type after the list of silversmiths and their hallmarks.
Hopi jewelry can be easily identified thanks to the inclusion of several shop marks.
Since the practice did not start until the 1930s, many of the early smiths do not have hallmarks listed. Hopi names are written in their traditional form, without accents or hyphens, for the sake of conciseness, as Wright wrote.
''All Things Hopi Belt'', 2005, by Gail Bird and Yazzie Johnson in the Heard Museum Collection, Source Wikimedia Commons, Author Schmiebel
The Smiths
Even without nicknames, many of the smiths go by multiple names. The Hopi originally had no system of surnames, but as significant events in their lives occurred, they were given new names to replace their old ones.
Others are the result of a family name gradually developing, while still others come from children being given English names at school, which were then used alongside their Indigenous names. Andrew was the father of Paul Andrew. Later, he adopted a Hopi name. All of his children currently use Saufkie as their last name.
Today, the Hopi employ a single set of names for formal purposes. At the Wuwuchim initiation, males may add the new name given to them by their godfathers.
Hopi artist fred kabotie painting the snake legend painting in the desert view watchtower, source 08801 Grand Canyon Historic- Fred Kabotie Painting Interior c.193 via Wikimedia Commons, Author Grand Canyon National Park
Several villages are included within the residences of many smiths. It is customary for a man to live at his wife’s house among the Hopi. Therefore, he usually relocates to his wife’s village and settles there if he marries a woman from a different area.
According to Wright, the list of Hopi smiths reveals a number of things. Less than half of the men who enrolled in G.I. Bill silversmithing programs went on to find employment. This percentage might, however, be in line with the outcomes of any other training program for veterans.
The high number of silversmiths who were killed is even more tragic. This might reflect the high risk of automobile accidents among Hopi people in general. The number of smiths who lost their vision or were forced to stop working due to it is another striking statistic.
Once again, eye diseases affect the Hopi collectively. However, eyestrain is referred to as “the occupational disease of silversmithing” by John Adair in his discussion of Navajo silversmiths. A smith could realistically expect to do precise work for roughly twenty years before his eyesight became too poor to continue silversmithing, he added.
Even though the majority of today’s smiths have access to electric lighting, they frequently use acetylene torches without wearing safety glasses. The smiths believe this contributes to declining vision, whether or not that is true.
Hopi Jewelry in the Present
Fifty years ago, returning World War II veterans had two options when buying Hopi jewelry: “Navajo style” or the first Hopi overlay pieces, wrote Wright in her book. Today, there are items to fit every taste and occasion, including gold work, stone and shell, diamonds and rubies, and silver overlays in a variety of styles.
Charles Loloma
A well-known craftsman from Hotevilla, Charles Loloma worked in both silver and ceramics. He attended Alfred University in New York to study ceramics, and from 1962 to 1964 he taught at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.
Under the guidance of Indian Arts and Crafts Board, he created paintings for the San Francisco Exposition in 1939.
In 1950, while teaching under a Whitney Foundation Fellowship at Shungopavi, he developed an interest in silverwork. Later, in Phoenix, he frequently turned to Morris Robinson, Bob Winston, and Fred Sharp for feedback on his jewelry.
He initially worked exclusively in cast pieces, but as his creative abilities developed, he eventually used a wide variety of silver and gold techniques in his Hotevilla workshop.
He employed turquoise mosaic, a jewelry technique that has been used since prehistoric times. Early archaeological sites have yielded examples of this type of art, inlaid on shell, wood, and even basketry. The Hopi continued to use it throughout history.
Such necklaces were produced in the 1940s after Virgil Hubert used mosaic to create one in 1938. While smiths were incorporating turquoise mosaic into their silver jewelry, other artisans were still crafting pieces using the traditional technique of inlaying stone and shell into wood.
Loloma also used mosaic in a novel way in 1972, lining the inside of one of his gold bracelets. He used metals combined with wood, ivory, and a variety of stones, in addition to mosaics and other forms.
Preston Monongye
His design ability was unmatched, and he and Preston Monongye established a standard for “new Indian” or “new Hopi” jewelry that freed younger smiths from the constraints of a traditional trade without sacrificing their core Hopi identity.
Preston Monongye, who was of California Indian heritage, was raised in Hotevilla and became heavily involved in Hopi religious rituals after being adopted by a Hopi family as a young child.
In his late forties, he began making jewelry in the style of the time after learning silversmithing from a relative, Gene Nuvahoioma. After mastering the overlay method, he adopted a more contemporary style using both gold and silver in varied ways.
Monongye’s expertise and skill in handling silver were widely regarded as exceptional, according to a longtime dealer and expert in Native American jewelry. He used a variety of intricate techniques, including shell inlays and a wide range of stones, to bring vibrancy to his work.
Intricate casting was also used, often in combination with overlay, to create delicate pieces that were accented by only one or two turquoise stones. He received multiple honors in major exhibitions of the era.
In his shop, Charles Loloma employed a variety of workers, including his nieces Sherian Honhongva and Verma Nequatewa. They performed exceptionally well and later inherited much of the work from his studio when his health declined.
After his passing, they continued working independently under the name “Sonwai.” Although each has her own distinct style, their current individual exhibitions include pieces that reflect Loloma’s influence, as Wright wrote.
Dorothy Poleyma, another niece, has been developing her own distinctive jewelry style since 1989.
Charles Supplee
Two Hopi brothers from a different background create striking modern pieces, despite never having lived on the mesas. Their mother was from Kykotsmovi, but Charles Supplee and his brother Don grew up in Flagstaff.
Charles moved to Phoenix and studied under French jeweler Pierre Touraine after graduating from school, where he was recognized for his artistic talent. In addition to teaching his students gold craftsmanship, Touraine also taught stone setting with precious gems.
As he grew older, Charles applied this knowledge along with his Hopi heritage to create work that stood alongside contemporary jewelry worldwide. Later, he taught his brother Don, who further developed his own skills.
Jewelry tastes are subtle yet constantly evolving. When not set with precious stones, the Supplees’ jewelry has used traditional Southwestern combinations of coral and turquoise. However, they and other smiths today also use purple sugilite, pink shell, and lapis lazuli, so their pieces often reflect the color palettes used by contemporary designers.
Duane Maktima
Duane Maktima is another artisan with stone-setting skills. Together with Navajo smith Victor Beck, he and Bob Lomadapki worked in Flagstaff as part of a program run by the Museum of Northern Arizona.
It was intended to foster greater creative inspiration through interaction among participants. One mentor was Jake Brookins. Maktima’s creations range from a hand-hammered punch ladle two feet tall featuring granulation, reticulation, and appliqué, to a silver chalice with a single inlaid stone.
Other pieces are entirely inlaid with wood and other materials. His work is striking and often successfully incorporates colorful inlay and overlay as part of the overall design.
Bob Lomadapki
According to Wright, the smithing of Bob Lomadapki was unusual. The power of the silver and black pattern itself drives both his and Michael Kabotie’s work. He frequently uses a single piece of turquoise along with heavy-gauge silver.
His striking designs are understated yet sophisticated, and when he incorporates a stone, it becomes an integral part of the overall concept.
In addition to being a renowned artist, Michael Kabotie’s father, Fred Kabotie, served as a design instructor for veterans’ workshops. By spending time in the guild workshop and receiving guidance from Wally Sekayumptewa, Michael learned silverworking techniques.
His layered silver designs feature angular circular elements evocative of Awatovi murals, while also incorporating his own imagery of bears, kachinas, clouds, and rain.
Richard Pawicki
The flute player created by Richard Pawicki has a distinctly different overlay style. His use of angular shapes and precise line work creates movement in pieces such as bolo ties and bracelets. This exemplifies the constant evolution of Hopi jewelry craft, Wright continued.
Each new smith contributes his own perspective on the culture as a whole. The future holds many possibilities for artistic creation, with younger smiths exploring new directions while older artisans continue to expand their work.
Components of a Hallmark
The initials of the business or person in charge of sending the item for testing are one of the essential elements of a hallmark: the maker’s or sponsor’s mark.
The purity of the precious metal is indicated by its fineness mark, which can be 750 for 18K gold, 375 for 9 ct gold, or 925 for sterling silver.
Assay Office Mark
Each assay office where the metal was analyzed and marked has its own distinctive sign.
Date Letter
The date letter is a letter that changes annually, depending on the year the item was marked.
How to Read a Hallmark
Recognize the Symbols: Examine the jewelry for the various punches or stamps.
Match the Symbols: To determine what each symbol means, use a manual or software tool, such as the “Help with Hallmarks” app from the Birmingham Assay Office.
Unfolding the Data: Assign the date letter to a specific year, the assay office mark to a location, the maker’s mark to a particular goldsmith, and the fineness mark to a percentage or karat.
