Our gallery focuses on the sale of antique Native American jewelry dating from the late 19th century through the 1950s, including works by Navajo and Pueblo (Zuni, and Hopi) artists. The makers of the majority of these works remain unidentified as they did not begin to sign their jewelry until the late 1940s.
The Navajos learned silversmithing from the Spanish. From 1870s-1900, they worked primarily in ingot silver, using hand-made tools. Silver is a difficult medium to work, requiring extremely high temperatures in the firing, but the Navajos mastered it and developed designs using dies, chisels and stamps. By about 1900, the Navajo began to incorporate stones into their work. The silverwork, however, remained the most important part of the design of the jewelry they made (most especially bracelets, necklaces, brooches, rings, earrings and ketohs).
The Pueblos are descendants of the Anasazi Indians and they learned jewelry making from their ancestors. They focused primarily on fine stone-work, utilizing turquoise, spiny oyster (spondylus), coral, onyx, and clam shell (some of which was acquired by trade with coastal peoples). Once silverwork was introduced by the Spanish, the Zuni developed skill in working silver but their main design focus was on the stonework. The Hopis developed a distinctive style of silverwork utilizing silver overlay after World War II, which continues through to today. Both the Zuni and the Hopi are noted for making bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings, and brooches.
Marcy Burns American Indian Arts
525 East 72nd Street, Suite 26G
New York, New York 10021
(by appointment only)
