What Is Hopi Silversmithing?
The American Southwest, more specifically, northern Arizona is the focal point of Native American Hopi silversmithing, known worldwide. Incorporating historical symbols and new innovations Hopi artisans produce a style of metal layering that presents a multidimensional piece of jewelry. The detailed intricacy of the silversmithing of the Hopi work has been compared to quality work done with machines. Yet, this is not a craft that reaches back to antiquity for the Hopi. The introduction of silver working in the American Southwest came with the intervention of the Spanish. The Zuni and Navajo learned from them, which then led to the Hopi acquiring silversmithing knowledge. But the characteristics for which Hopi silversmithing is known for is a more modern achievement.
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Geography
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The Hopi live in northern Arizona around a three mesa area. This general area has been their home for approximately 1,500 years. Surrounding their reservation is the Navajo reservation.
History
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The Museum of Northern Arizona at Flagstaff and the Hopi worked together to establish the distinctive silversmithing that is associated with the Hopi. Curators of the museum, Dr. Harold and Mary Russell-Colten set up workshops for silversmithing in 1938 at the museum. They also urged the Hopi to establish a design for their silversmithing. By doing so, the expectation was the recognition of the Hopi work as distinct from other Native American silversmithing.
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Features
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The silver overlay technique is generally recognized as the Hopi silversmithing concept that sets their work apart. To create a piece of jewelry with this technique, the design is drawn on a sheet of silver. Designs for a piece, a necklace, pendant, ring or bracelet, can be the individual concept of the artist. Designs are also developed based on historic Hopi designs. The patterns are then cut out using jeweler's saws with fine blades. The piece's edges are then sanded, filed and polished.
The piece is then ready to place on another sheet of silver, the base, to which it is soldered. After it is soldered into place, the piece is shaped, sanded, filed and polished again. The recessed areas of the exposed base are then given a finish such as blackening via oxidation, or a texturing using a pointed tool to place evenly spaced marks. There can also be a combination of blackening and texturing. The final quality pieces of jewelry are works of art.
Identification
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Each piece of Hopi work has a signature mark. The mark or hallmark may be the individual artisan's name or mark. In addition, there may be an artisan guild symbol. The artist may choose not to include a signature mark.
Considerations
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Not all jewelry that looks like Hopi work is. It is illegal to create a piece of jewelry in the manner of the Hopi and represent it as being Hopi by anyone who is not Hopi.
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