Eugene B. Adkins Collection Eugene B. Adkins created one of the premier collections of art of the American Southwest. The University of Oklahoma is pleased to be working with the Eugene B. Adkins Foundation and the Philbrook Museum of Art to encourage research and preservation of this important part of our nation’s cultural history. A native Oklahoman, Eugene Brady Adkins had deep roots in Tulsa, where his grandfather, W. Tate Brady, operated the Brady Hotel, one of the city’s first. He was a civic leader and early advocate for the Tulsa Public Schools. Eugene Adkins earned a degree in art history at Dartmouth College and graduate degrees in business at Stanford University. He frequently spent summers in Santa Fe, which kindled the lifelong interest in the American Southwest that fostered his important collection of Native American art and that of the Santa Fe and Taos art colonies. He was a keen judge of artistic merit and had an encyclopedic knowledge of his collection’s artists and their cultural roots. The University of Oklahoma has a rich heritage in studying and supporting the art of the American Southwest, beginning with the arrival of art professor Oscar Jacobson in 1915. Jacobson developed numerous relationships with the art colonies in Santa Fe and Taos and with the Native American artists of the region. This…exhibition of the Eugene B. Adkins Collection continue[s] the university’s commitment to this artistic heritage.
Native American Jewelry Collection
Jewelry, silverwork, and carved fetishes compose the single largest category of art, Native or non-Native, in the Adkins Collection. This jewelry collection is also one of the single largest ever amassed, rivaling that of famed trader C. G. Wallace as well as those of the Fred Harvey Company and School of American Research. Not only is this grouping large, it is also diverse and contains pieces of exquisite craftsmanship, creativity, and historical significance. Although most of the work in the collection can be categorized as jewelry meant to be worn as adornment (bracelets, necklaces and pendants, rings, pins, earrings, buckles), the collection also features various types of objects and serviceware, including teapots, trays, and boxes. Many of the pieces represent distinctive cultural traditions developed by southwestern jewelers in the late 1800s and passed on through the generations. Other pieces highlight the bold innovations that characterized the modern era of Native design in the 1960s and ‘70s. . . . Adkins continued collecting into the early twenty-first century, purchasing pieces from the next generation of innovators, who carried on the tradition of experimentation established by Loloma and others.
– Christina E. Burke, excerpted from “Tradition and Innovation,” The Eugene B. Adkins Collection: Selected Works (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011)
– President David L. Boren, excerpted from foreward to The Eugene B. Adkins Collection: Selected Works (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011)
This publication, printed by the University of Oklahoma Printing Services, is issued by the University of Oklahoma. 1,000 copies have been prepared and distributed at no cost to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma.
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art The University of Oklahoma 555 Elm Avenue Norman, OK 73019–3003 www.fjjma.ou.edu
Eugene B. Adkins Native American Jewelry Collection
Eugene B. Adkins Collection Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Cover: Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Snake Pin, ca. 1974 Silver, turquoise, coral, and malachite
Page 2: Michael Kabotie (Lomawywesa) (U.S., Hopi, 1942-2009) Belt Buckle, 1981 Silver and turquoise
Page 3: Harrison Jim (U.S., Navajo, b. ca. 1970) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise
Page 4: Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Untitled, ca. 1970s Silver, coral, turquoise, and onyx
Page 5: Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Channel Inlay Pin of Rainbow Man, n.d. Silver, turquoise, coral, jet, abalone shell, mother-of-pearl, and tortoise shell
Page 6: Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Frog Fetish, n.d. Serpentine and spiny oyster shell
Eugene B. Adkins Collection Eugene B. Adkins created one of the premier collections of art of the American Southwest. The University of Oklahoma is pleased to be working with the Eugene B. Adkins Foundation and the Philbrook Museum of Art to encourage research and preservation of this important part of our nation’s cultural history. A native Oklahoman, Eugene Brady Adkins had deep roots in Tulsa, where his grandfather, W. Tate Brady, operated the Brady Hotel, one of the city’s first. He was a civic leader and early advocate for the Tulsa Public Schools. Eugene Adkins earned a degree in art history at Dartmouth College and graduate degrees in business at Stanford University. He frequently spent summers in Santa Fe, which kindled the lifelong interest in the American Southwest that fostered his important collection of Native American art and that of the Santa Fe and Taos art colonies. He was a keen judge of artistic merit and had an encyclopedic knowledge of his collection’s artists and their cultural roots. The University of Oklahoma has a rich heritage in studying and supporting the art of the American Southwest, beginning with the arrival of art professor Oscar Jacobson in 1915. Jacobson developed numerous relationships with the art colonies in Santa Fe and Taos and with the Native American artists of the region. This…exhibition of the Eugene B. Adkins Collection continue[s] the university’s commitment to this artistic heritage.
Native American Jewelry Collection
Jewelry, silverwork, and carved fetishes compose the single largest category of art, Native or non-Native, in the Adkins Collection. This jewelry collection is also one of the single largest ever amassed, rivaling that of famed trader C. G. Wallace as well as those of the Fred Harvey Company and School of American Research. Not only is this grouping large, it is also diverse and contains pieces of exquisite craftsmanship, creativity, and historical significance. Although most of the work in the collection can be categorized as jewelry meant to be worn as adornment (bracelets, necklaces and pendants, rings, pins, earrings, buckles), the collection also features various types of objects and serviceware, including teapots, trays, and boxes. Many of the pieces represent distinctive cultural traditions developed by southwestern jewelers in the late 1800s and passed on through the generations. Other pieces highlight the bold innovations that characterized the modern era of Native design in the 1960s and ‘70s. . . . Adkins continued collecting into the early twenty-first century, purchasing pieces from the next generation of innovators, who carried on the tradition of experimentation established by Loloma and others.
– Christina E. Burke, excerpted from “Tradition and Innovation,” The Eugene B. Adkins Collection: Selected Works (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011)
– President David L. Boren, excerpted from foreward to The Eugene B. Adkins Collection: Selected Works (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011)
This publication, printed by the University of Oklahoma Printing Services, is issued by the University of Oklahoma. 1,000 copies have been prepared and distributed at no cost to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma.
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art The University of Oklahoma 555 Elm Avenue Norman, OK 73019–3003 www.fjjma.ou.edu
Eugene B. Adkins Native American Jewelry Collection
Eugene B. Adkins Collection Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Cover: Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Snake Pin, ca. 1974 Silver, turquoise, coral, and malachite
Page 2: Michael Kabotie (Lomawywesa) (U.S., Hopi, 1942-2009) Belt Buckle, 1981 Silver and turquoise
Page 3: Harrison Jim (U.S., Navajo, b. ca. 1970) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise
Page 4: Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Untitled, ca. 1970s Silver, coral, turquoise, and onyx
Page 5: Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Channel Inlay Pin of Rainbow Man, n.d. Silver, turquoise, coral, jet, abalone shell, mother-of-pearl, and tortoise shell
Page 6: Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Frog Fetish, n.d. Serpentine and spiny oyster shell
Eugene B. Adkins Collection Eugene B. Adkins created one of the premier collections of art of the American Southwest. The University of Oklahoma is pleased to be working with the Eugene B. Adkins Foundation and the Philbrook Museum of Art to encourage research and preservation of this important part of our nation’s cultural history. A native Oklahoman, Eugene Brady Adkins had deep roots in Tulsa, where his grandfather, W. Tate Brady, operated the Brady Hotel, one of the city’s first. He was a civic leader and early advocate for the Tulsa Public Schools. Eugene Adkins earned a degree in art history at Dartmouth College and graduate degrees in business at Stanford University. He frequently spent summers in Santa Fe, which kindled the lifelong interest in the American Southwest that fostered his important collection of Native American art and that of the Santa Fe and Taos art colonies. He was a keen judge of artistic merit and had an encyclopedic knowledge of his collection’s artists and their cultural roots. The University of Oklahoma has a rich heritage in studying and supporting the art of the American Southwest, beginning with the arrival of art professor Oscar Jacobson in 1915. Jacobson developed numerous relationships with the art colonies in Santa Fe and Taos and with the Native American artists of the region. This…exhibition of the Eugene B. Adkins Collection continue[s] the university’s commitment to this artistic heritage.
Native American Jewelry Collection
Jewelry, silverwork, and carved fetishes compose the single largest category of art, Native or non-Native, in the Adkins Collection. This jewelry collection is also one of the single largest ever amassed, rivaling that of famed trader C. G. Wallace as well as those of the Fred Harvey Company and School of American Research. Not only is this grouping large, it is also diverse and contains pieces of exquisite craftsmanship, creativity, and historical significance. Although most of the work in the collection can be categorized as jewelry meant to be worn as adornment (bracelets, necklaces and pendants, rings, pins, earrings, buckles), the collection also features various types of objects and serviceware, including teapots, trays, and boxes. Many of the pieces represent distinctive cultural traditions developed by southwestern jewelers in the late 1800s and passed on through the generations. Other pieces highlight the bold innovations that characterized the modern era of Native design in the 1960s and ‘70s. . . . Adkins continued collecting into the early twenty-first century, purchasing pieces from the next generation of innovators, who carried on the tradition of experimentation established by Loloma and others.
– Christina E. Burke, excerpted from “Tradition and Innovation,” The Eugene B. Adkins Collection: Selected Works (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011)
– President David L. Boren, excerpted from foreward to The Eugene B. Adkins Collection: Selected Works (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011)
This publication, printed by the University of Oklahoma Printing Services, is issued by the University of Oklahoma. 1,000 copies have been prepared and distributed at no cost to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma.
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art The University of Oklahoma 555 Elm Avenue Norman, OK 73019–3003 www.fjjma.ou.edu
Eugene B. Adkins Native American Jewelry Collection
Eugene B. Adkins Collection Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Cover: Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Snake Pin, ca. 1974 Silver, turquoise, coral, and malachite
Page 2: Michael Kabotie (Lomawywesa) (U.S., Hopi, 1942-2009) Belt Buckle, 1981 Silver and turquoise
Page 3: Harrison Jim (U.S., Navajo, b. ca. 1970) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise
Page 4: Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Untitled, ca. 1970s Silver, coral, turquoise, and onyx
Page 5: Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Channel Inlay Pin of Rainbow Man, n.d. Silver, turquoise, coral, jet, abalone shell, mother-of-pearl, and tortoise shell
Page 6: Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Frog Fetish, n.d. Serpentine and spiny oyster shell
Tradition
Innovation
Symbolism
Materials
Native Americans in the Southwest have made jewelry for more than 10,000 years as a form of personal adornment and spiritual expression. The earliest materials included stones, seashells, and animal bone or teeth, which were often strung into necklaces or earrings. As materials crossed trade routes, local resources often were greatly expanded for this purpose. Oyster, conch and clam shell, mother of pearl, and abalone, have been important trade items in the Southwest for over a thousand years. As tribal contact with colonial silversmiths expanded across the continent, new styles emerged. By the 1800s, Native silversmiths were establishing what has become known as traditional styles with tribally distinctive types of material handling and design aesthetic. During the 1920s, hallmarks began to appear that identified individual artists.
As many Native artists began pushing the boundaries and definitions used to establish the field of Native American art during the mid-twentieth century, jewelers participated in the dialogue by experimenting with new materials and techniques, and developed unique styles that would set a standard for both craftsmanship and innovation. Among those who stretched the boundaries of form, materials, and wearability are Charles Loloma (Hopi), Preston Monongye (Mission, adopted Hopi), and Kenneth Begay (Navajo). As these artists traveled internationally with their art, they recognized that modernist forms and color fields resonated with their established traditional cultural aesthetics. Working in their local tribal communities, they sought to expand the horizons for jewelry in much the same way artists explore painting and sculpture.
Within tribal aesthetics, the philosophy and ethos of tribes are embedded within the designs, colors, and materials used by artists. For many, the visual motifs are cultural texts best interpreted through oral narratives or songs. For this reason, the symbols used within Native American jewelry often resonate with natural forces, such as plants or animals. Many of the deities or mythical figures from tribal creation stories have codified symbols that are abstracted features of their faces, or entire figures, in a manner that is recognizable to the trained eye. When artists use any portion of the systematically coded symbols within their art, the reference becomes as powerful as if the complete figure were shown.
When Native artists began making the earliest material choices, they often were selecting from local materials that were coded with meaning from creation stories. For example, the Navajo tribal history teaches that stone appears with First Woman and becomes the source of fire. For many Native artists, working with natural materials encompasses similar beliefs while the materials help to express and continue practicing cultural beliefs. The same regard is held by those who wear the jewelry, and for this reason, jewelry often is the most important cultural marker in both social and ceremonial settings. All of this enhances the appreciation merited by the artists who create the art, which can be enjoyed by all for its aesthetic beauty.
1 Harrison Jim (U.S., Navajo, b. ca. 1970) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 2 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, ca.1900-1920 Silver 3 Richard Henry Yazzie (U.S., Navajo, 1927-2000) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 4 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, 1949 Silver and turquoise 5 Wolf Robe Hunt (U.S., Acoma Pueblo, 1905-1977) Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and coral
6 Unknown Ring, n.d. Silver 7 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Necklace, n.d. Silver and turquoise Unknown (U.S., Navajo) 8 Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 9 Johnny Mike Begay (U.S., Navajo, d. 1976) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 10 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, ironwood, ivory, and sinew
11 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Ring, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and tortoise shell 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 13 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 14 Leroy Kewanyama (U.S., Hopi, b.1958) Pin, n.d. Silver
1 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 2 Silviano Quintana (U.S., Cochiti Pueblo, 1915-2003) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and shell beads 3 Joy Hanley (U.S., Navajo, n.d.) Bracelet, n.d. Gold tone metal and turquoise 4 Michael Kabotie (Lomawywesa) (U.S., Hopi, 1942-2009) Belt Buckle, 1981 Silver and turquoise 5 Mike Bird-Romero (U.S., San Juan Pueblo/Taos Pueblo, b.1946) Ring, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster, and turquoise
6 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, mother-of-pearl, and coral 7 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and coral 8 Frank Patania, Sr. (U.S., b. Sicily, 1899-1964) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 9 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 10 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, and spiny oyster shell 11 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, coral, and turquoise
12 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver
1 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Pin, n.d. Silver
13 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and coral
2 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
14 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 15 Elliot Qualo (U.S., Zuni Pueblo, 1929-1970s) Belt-Inlay Tortoise Shell with Devil Dancer, ca.1967 Leather, silver, turquoise, coral, tortoise shell, and abalone shell
3 Verden Mansfield (U.S., Hopi, b. 1955) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, coral, onyx, and mother-of-pearl
7 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Snake Pin, ca. 1974 Silver, turquoise, coral, and malachite 8 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, olivine, and coral 9 Leroy Kewanyama (U.S., Hopi, b. 1958) Pin, n.d. Silver
13 Victor Coochwytewa (U.S., Hopi, b. 1922) Necklace, n.d. Silver and turquoise 14 Vic Glover Pin, n.d. Silver 15 Phillip Honanie (U.S., Hopi, b. 1943) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
4 Bobby Lujan (U.S., Taos Pueblo, 1922-2012) Necklace, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster shell, coral, and turquoise
16 10 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Pin, n.d. Silver 17
5 Bobby Lujan (U.S., Taos Pueblo, 1922-2012) Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, spiny oyster shell, and coral
11 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Untitled, ca. 1970s Silver, coral, turquoise, and onyx
Bernard Dawahoya (U.S., Hopi, b.1953) Bracelet, n.d. Silver Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, and green amber
18 Anthony Lovato (U.S., Santo Domingo Pueblo, b. 1958) Bracelet, n.d. 6 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Silver and turquoise Bracelet, n.d. Frog Fetish, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster shell, onyx, Serpentine and spiny turquoise, and mother-of-pearl oyster shell
1 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Sunface Brooch/Pin, n.d. Silver, turquoise, mother-of-pearl, spiny oyster shell, green amber, coral, and onyx
7 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, ironwood, turquoise, coral, and onyx
2 McBride Lomayestewa (U.S., Hopi, 1932-2002) Spoon with Crow Mother (Angwusnasomtaqa) Design, n.d. Silver
8 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
14 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 15 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
16 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) 9 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Ring, n.d. Channel Inlay Pin of Silver and turquoise 3 Dennis and Nancy Edaakie Rainbow Man, n.d. (U.S., Zuni Pueblo, Dennis: Silver, turquoise, coral, jet, 17 Unknown (U.S., Santo 1931-2008, Nancy: b. 1937) abalone shell, mother-ofDomingo Pueblo) Pin, n.d. pearl, and tortoise shell Earrings, n.d. Silver with inlaid coral, turquoise, Onyx, spiny oyster shell, onyx, mother-of-pearl, abalone, 10 Michael L. Slim turquoise, and mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell (U.S., Navajo, b. 1967) Bracelet, n.d. 18 Unknown (U.S., Santo 4 Preston Monongye Silver and lapis lazuli Domingo Pueblo) (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], Earrings, n.d. 1927-1987) 11 Unkown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Turquoise, coral, lapis, agate, Pin, n.d. Untitled, n.d. balsa wood, mother-of-pearl, Silver, spiny oyster shell, Spiny oyster shell and charoite and onyx and turquoise 19 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) 5 Jimmy Herald (U.S., Navajo) 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Pin, n.d. Pillbox, n.d. Silver, mother-of-pearl, and Silver and turquoise Silver and turquoise green amber 6 Delbridge Honanie (U.S., Hopi, 13 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) b. 1946) Ring, n.d. Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, ivory, Wood, silver, turquoise, and shell and coral
20 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Ring, n.d. Silver and turquoise
Tradition
Innovation
Symbolism
Materials
Native Americans in the Southwest have made jewelry for more than 10,000 years as a form of personal adornment and spiritual expression. The earliest materials included stones, seashells, and animal bone or teeth, which were often strung into necklaces or earrings. As materials crossed trade routes, local resources often were greatly expanded for this purpose. Oyster, conch and clam shell, mother of pearl, and abalone, have been important trade items in the Southwest for over a thousand years. As tribal contact with colonial silversmiths expanded across the continent, new styles emerged. By the 1800s, Native silversmiths were establishing what has become known as traditional styles with tribally distinctive types of material handling and design aesthetic. During the 1920s, hallmarks began to appear that identified individual artists.
As many Native artists began pushing the boundaries and definitions used to establish the field of Native American art during the mid-twentieth century, jewelers participated in the dialogue by experimenting with new materials and techniques, and developed unique styles that would set a standard for both craftsmanship and innovation. Among those who stretched the boundaries of form, materials, and wearability are Charles Loloma (Hopi), Preston Monongye (Mission, adopted Hopi), and Kenneth Begay (Navajo). As these artists traveled internationally with their art, they recognized that modernist forms and color fields resonated with their established traditional cultural aesthetics. Working in their local tribal communities, they sought to expand the horizons for jewelry in much the same way artists explore painting and sculpture.
Within tribal aesthetics, the philosophy and ethos of tribes are embedded within the designs, colors, and materials used by artists. For many, the visual motifs are cultural texts best interpreted through oral narratives or songs. For this reason, the symbols used within Native American jewelry often resonate with natural forces, such as plants or animals. Many of the deities or mythical figures from tribal creation stories have codified symbols that are abstracted features of their faces, or entire figures, in a manner that is recognizable to the trained eye. When artists use any portion of the systematically coded symbols within their art, the reference becomes as powerful as if the complete figure were shown.
When Native artists began making the earliest material choices, they often were selecting from local materials that were coded with meaning from creation stories. For example, the Navajo tribal history teaches that stone appears with First Woman and becomes the source of fire. For many Native artists, working with natural materials encompasses similar beliefs while the materials help to express and continue practicing cultural beliefs. The same regard is held by those who wear the jewelry, and for this reason, jewelry often is the most important cultural marker in both social and ceremonial settings. All of this enhances the appreciation merited by the artists who create the art, which can be enjoyed by all for its aesthetic beauty.
1 Harrison Jim (U.S., Navajo, b. ca. 1970) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 2 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, ca.1900-1920 Silver 3 Richard Henry Yazzie (U.S., Navajo, 1927-2000) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 4 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, 1949 Silver and turquoise 5 Wolf Robe Hunt (U.S., Acoma Pueblo, 1905-1977) Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and coral
6 Unknown Ring, n.d. Silver 7 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Necklace, n.d. Silver and turquoise Unknown (U.S., Navajo) 8 Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 9 Johnny Mike Begay (U.S., Navajo, d. 1976) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 10 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, ironwood, ivory, and sinew
11 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Ring, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and tortoise shell 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 13 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 14 Leroy Kewanyama (U.S., Hopi, b.1958) Pin, n.d. Silver
1 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 2 Silviano Quintana (U.S., Cochiti Pueblo, 1915-2003) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and shell beads 3 Joy Hanley (U.S., Navajo, n.d.) Bracelet, n.d. Gold tone metal and turquoise 4 Michael Kabotie (Lomawywesa) (U.S., Hopi, 1942-2009) Belt Buckle, 1981 Silver and turquoise 5 Mike Bird-Romero (U.S., San Juan Pueblo/Taos Pueblo, b.1946) Ring, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster, and turquoise
6 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, mother-of-pearl, and coral 7 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and coral 8 Frank Patania, Sr. (U.S., b. Sicily, 1899-1964) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 9 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 10 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, and spiny oyster shell 11 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, coral, and turquoise
12 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver
1 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Pin, n.d. Silver
13 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and coral
2 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
14 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 15 Elliot Qualo (U.S., Zuni Pueblo, 1929-1970s) Belt-Inlay Tortoise Shell with Devil Dancer, ca.1967 Leather, silver, turquoise, coral, tortoise shell, and abalone shell
3 Verden Mansfield (U.S., Hopi, b. 1955) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, coral, onyx, and mother-of-pearl
7 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Snake Pin, ca. 1974 Silver, turquoise, coral, and malachite 8 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, olivine, and coral 9 Leroy Kewanyama (U.S., Hopi, b. 1958) Pin, n.d. Silver
13 Victor Coochwytewa (U.S., Hopi, b. 1922) Necklace, n.d. Silver and turquoise 14 Vic Glover Pin, n.d. Silver 15 Phillip Honanie (U.S., Hopi, b. 1943) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
4 Bobby Lujan (U.S., Taos Pueblo, 1922-2012) Necklace, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster shell, coral, and turquoise
16 10 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Pin, n.d. Silver 17
5 Bobby Lujan (U.S., Taos Pueblo, 1922-2012) Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, spiny oyster shell, and coral
11 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Untitled, ca. 1970s Silver, coral, turquoise, and onyx
Bernard Dawahoya (U.S., Hopi, b.1953) Bracelet, n.d. Silver Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, and green amber
18 Anthony Lovato (U.S., Santo Domingo Pueblo, b. 1958) Bracelet, n.d. 6 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Silver and turquoise Bracelet, n.d. Frog Fetish, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster shell, onyx, Serpentine and spiny turquoise, and mother-of-pearl oyster shell
1 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Sunface Brooch/Pin, n.d. Silver, turquoise, mother-of-pearl, spiny oyster shell, green amber, coral, and onyx
7 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, ironwood, turquoise, coral, and onyx
2 McBride Lomayestewa (U.S., Hopi, 1932-2002) Spoon with Crow Mother (Angwusnasomtaqa) Design, n.d. Silver
8 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
14 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 15 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
16 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) 9 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Ring, n.d. Channel Inlay Pin of Silver and turquoise 3 Dennis and Nancy Edaakie Rainbow Man, n.d. (U.S., Zuni Pueblo, Dennis: Silver, turquoise, coral, jet, 17 Unknown (U.S., Santo 1931-2008, Nancy: b. 1937) abalone shell, mother-ofDomingo Pueblo) Pin, n.d. pearl, and tortoise shell Earrings, n.d. Silver with inlaid coral, turquoise, Onyx, spiny oyster shell, onyx, mother-of-pearl, abalone, 10 Michael L. Slim turquoise, and mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell (U.S., Navajo, b. 1967) Bracelet, n.d. 18 Unknown (U.S., Santo 4 Preston Monongye Silver and lapis lazuli Domingo Pueblo) (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], Earrings, n.d. 1927-1987) 11 Unkown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Turquoise, coral, lapis, agate, Pin, n.d. Untitled, n.d. balsa wood, mother-of-pearl, Silver, spiny oyster shell, Spiny oyster shell and charoite and onyx and turquoise 19 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) 5 Jimmy Herald (U.S., Navajo) 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Pin, n.d. Pillbox, n.d. Silver, mother-of-pearl, and Silver and turquoise Silver and turquoise green amber 6 Delbridge Honanie (U.S., Hopi, 13 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) b. 1946) Ring, n.d. Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, ivory, Wood, silver, turquoise, and shell and coral
20 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Ring, n.d. Silver and turquoise
Tradition
Innovation
Symbolism
Materials
Native Americans in the Southwest have made jewelry for more than 10,000 years as a form of personal adornment and spiritual expression. The earliest materials included stones, seashells, and animal bone or teeth, which were often strung into necklaces or earrings. As materials crossed trade routes, local resources often were greatly expanded for this purpose. Oyster, conch and clam shell, mother of pearl, and abalone, have been important trade items in the Southwest for over a thousand years. As tribal contact with colonial silversmiths expanded across the continent, new styles emerged. By the 1800s, Native silversmiths were establishing what has become known as traditional styles with tribally distinctive types of material handling and design aesthetic. During the 1920s, hallmarks began to appear that identified individual artists.
As many Native artists began pushing the boundaries and definitions used to establish the field of Native American art during the mid-twentieth century, jewelers participated in the dialogue by experimenting with new materials and techniques, and developed unique styles that would set a standard for both craftsmanship and innovation. Among those who stretched the boundaries of form, materials, and wearability are Charles Loloma (Hopi), Preston Monongye (Mission, adopted Hopi), and Kenneth Begay (Navajo). As these artists traveled internationally with their art, they recognized that modernist forms and color fields resonated with their established traditional cultural aesthetics. Working in their local tribal communities, they sought to expand the horizons for jewelry in much the same way artists explore painting and sculpture.
Within tribal aesthetics, the philosophy and ethos of tribes are embedded within the designs, colors, and materials used by artists. For many, the visual motifs are cultural texts best interpreted through oral narratives or songs. For this reason, the symbols used within Native American jewelry often resonate with natural forces, such as plants or animals. Many of the deities or mythical figures from tribal creation stories have codified symbols that are abstracted features of their faces, or entire figures, in a manner that is recognizable to the trained eye. When artists use any portion of the systematically coded symbols within their art, the reference becomes as powerful as if the complete figure were shown.
When Native artists began making the earliest material choices, they often were selecting from local materials that were coded with meaning from creation stories. For example, the Navajo tribal history teaches that stone appears with First Woman and becomes the source of fire. For many Native artists, working with natural materials encompasses similar beliefs while the materials help to express and continue practicing cultural beliefs. The same regard is held by those who wear the jewelry, and for this reason, jewelry often is the most important cultural marker in both social and ceremonial settings. All of this enhances the appreciation merited by the artists who create the art, which can be enjoyed by all for its aesthetic beauty.
1 Harrison Jim (U.S., Navajo, b. ca. 1970) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 2 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, ca.1900-1920 Silver 3 Richard Henry Yazzie (U.S., Navajo, 1927-2000) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 4 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, 1949 Silver and turquoise 5 Wolf Robe Hunt (U.S., Acoma Pueblo, 1905-1977) Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and coral
6 Unknown Ring, n.d. Silver 7 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Necklace, n.d. Silver and turquoise Unknown (U.S., Navajo) 8 Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 9 Johnny Mike Begay (U.S., Navajo, d. 1976) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 10 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, ironwood, ivory, and sinew
11 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Ring, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and tortoise shell 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 13 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 14 Leroy Kewanyama (U.S., Hopi, b.1958) Pin, n.d. Silver
1 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 2 Silviano Quintana (U.S., Cochiti Pueblo, 1915-2003) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and shell beads 3 Joy Hanley (U.S., Navajo, n.d.) Bracelet, n.d. Gold tone metal and turquoise 4 Michael Kabotie (Lomawywesa) (U.S., Hopi, 1942-2009) Belt Buckle, 1981 Silver and turquoise 5 Mike Bird-Romero (U.S., San Juan Pueblo/Taos Pueblo, b.1946) Ring, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster, and turquoise
6 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, mother-of-pearl, and coral 7 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and coral 8 Frank Patania, Sr. (U.S., b. Sicily, 1899-1964) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 9 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 10 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, and spiny oyster shell 11 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, coral, and turquoise
12 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver
1 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Pin, n.d. Silver
13 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and coral
2 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
14 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 15 Elliot Qualo (U.S., Zuni Pueblo, 1929-1970s) Belt-Inlay Tortoise Shell with Devil Dancer, ca.1967 Leather, silver, turquoise, coral, tortoise shell, and abalone shell
3 Verden Mansfield (U.S., Hopi, b. 1955) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, coral, onyx, and mother-of-pearl
7 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Snake Pin, ca. 1974 Silver, turquoise, coral, and malachite 8 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, olivine, and coral 9 Leroy Kewanyama (U.S., Hopi, b. 1958) Pin, n.d. Silver
13 Victor Coochwytewa (U.S., Hopi, b. 1922) Necklace, n.d. Silver and turquoise 14 Vic Glover Pin, n.d. Silver 15 Phillip Honanie (U.S., Hopi, b. 1943) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
4 Bobby Lujan (U.S., Taos Pueblo, 1922-2012) Necklace, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster shell, coral, and turquoise
16 10 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Pin, n.d. Silver 17
5 Bobby Lujan (U.S., Taos Pueblo, 1922-2012) Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, spiny oyster shell, and coral
11 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Untitled, ca. 1970s Silver, coral, turquoise, and onyx
Bernard Dawahoya (U.S., Hopi, b.1953) Bracelet, n.d. Silver Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, and green amber
18 Anthony Lovato (U.S., Santo Domingo Pueblo, b. 1958) Bracelet, n.d. 6 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Silver and turquoise Bracelet, n.d. Frog Fetish, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster shell, onyx, Serpentine and spiny turquoise, and mother-of-pearl oyster shell
1 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Sunface Brooch/Pin, n.d. Silver, turquoise, mother-of-pearl, spiny oyster shell, green amber, coral, and onyx
7 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, ironwood, turquoise, coral, and onyx
2 McBride Lomayestewa (U.S., Hopi, 1932-2002) Spoon with Crow Mother (Angwusnasomtaqa) Design, n.d. Silver
8 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
14 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 15 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
16 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) 9 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Ring, n.d. Channel Inlay Pin of Silver and turquoise 3 Dennis and Nancy Edaakie Rainbow Man, n.d. (U.S., Zuni Pueblo, Dennis: Silver, turquoise, coral, jet, 17 Unknown (U.S., Santo 1931-2008, Nancy: b. 1937) abalone shell, mother-ofDomingo Pueblo) Pin, n.d. pearl, and tortoise shell Earrings, n.d. Silver with inlaid coral, turquoise, Onyx, spiny oyster shell, onyx, mother-of-pearl, abalone, 10 Michael L. Slim turquoise, and mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell (U.S., Navajo, b. 1967) Bracelet, n.d. 18 Unknown (U.S., Santo 4 Preston Monongye Silver and lapis lazuli Domingo Pueblo) (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], Earrings, n.d. 1927-1987) 11 Unkown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Turquoise, coral, lapis, agate, Pin, n.d. Untitled, n.d. balsa wood, mother-of-pearl, Silver, spiny oyster shell, Spiny oyster shell and charoite and onyx and turquoise 19 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) 5 Jimmy Herald (U.S., Navajo) 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Pin, n.d. Pillbox, n.d. Silver, mother-of-pearl, and Silver and turquoise Silver and turquoise green amber 6 Delbridge Honanie (U.S., Hopi, 13 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) b. 1946) Ring, n.d. Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, ivory, Wood, silver, turquoise, and shell and coral
20 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Ring, n.d. Silver and turquoise
Tradition
Innovation
Symbolism
Materials
Native Americans in the Southwest have made jewelry for more than 10,000 years as a form of personal adornment and spiritual expression. The earliest materials included stones, seashells, and animal bone or teeth, which were often strung into necklaces or earrings. As materials crossed trade routes, local resources often were greatly expanded for this purpose. Oyster, conch and clam shell, mother of pearl, and abalone, have been important trade items in the Southwest for over a thousand years. As tribal contact with colonial silversmiths expanded across the continent, new styles emerged. By the 1800s, Native silversmiths were establishing what has become known as traditional styles with tribally distinctive types of material handling and design aesthetic. During the 1920s, hallmarks began to appear that identified individual artists.
As many Native artists began pushing the boundaries and definitions used to establish the field of Native American art during the mid-twentieth century, jewelers participated in the dialogue by experimenting with new materials and techniques, and developed unique styles that would set a standard for both craftsmanship and innovation. Among those who stretched the boundaries of form, materials, and wearability are Charles Loloma (Hopi), Preston Monongye (Mission, adopted Hopi), and Kenneth Begay (Navajo). As these artists traveled internationally with their art, they recognized that modernist forms and color fields resonated with their established traditional cultural aesthetics. Working in their local tribal communities, they sought to expand the horizons for jewelry in much the same way artists explore painting and sculpture.
Within tribal aesthetics, the philosophy and ethos of tribes are embedded within the designs, colors, and materials used by artists. For many, the visual motifs are cultural texts best interpreted through oral narratives or songs. For this reason, the symbols used within Native American jewelry often resonate with natural forces, such as plants or animals. Many of the deities or mythical figures from tribal creation stories have codified symbols that are abstracted features of their faces, or entire figures, in a manner that is recognizable to the trained eye. When artists use any portion of the systematically coded symbols within their art, the reference becomes as powerful as if the complete figure were shown.
When Native artists began making the earliest material choices, they often were selecting from local materials that were coded with meaning from creation stories. For example, the Navajo tribal history teaches that stone appears with First Woman and becomes the source of fire. For many Native artists, working with natural materials encompasses similar beliefs while the materials help to express and continue practicing cultural beliefs. The same regard is held by those who wear the jewelry, and for this reason, jewelry often is the most important cultural marker in both social and ceremonial settings. All of this enhances the appreciation merited by the artists who create the art, which can be enjoyed by all for its aesthetic beauty.
1 Harrison Jim (U.S., Navajo, b. ca. 1970) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 2 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, ca.1900-1920 Silver 3 Richard Henry Yazzie (U.S., Navajo, 1927-2000) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 4 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, 1949 Silver and turquoise 5 Wolf Robe Hunt (U.S., Acoma Pueblo, 1905-1977) Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and coral
6 Unknown Ring, n.d. Silver 7 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Necklace, n.d. Silver and turquoise Unknown (U.S., Navajo) 8 Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 9 Johnny Mike Begay (U.S., Navajo, d. 1976) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 10 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, ironwood, ivory, and sinew
11 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Ring, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and tortoise shell 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise 13 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 14 Leroy Kewanyama (U.S., Hopi, b.1958) Pin, n.d. Silver
1 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 2 Silviano Quintana (U.S., Cochiti Pueblo, 1915-2003) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and shell beads 3 Joy Hanley (U.S., Navajo, n.d.) Bracelet, n.d. Gold tone metal and turquoise 4 Michael Kabotie (Lomawywesa) (U.S., Hopi, 1942-2009) Belt Buckle, 1981 Silver and turquoise 5 Mike Bird-Romero (U.S., San Juan Pueblo/Taos Pueblo, b.1946) Ring, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster, and turquoise
6 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, mother-of-pearl, and coral 7 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, and coral 8 Frank Patania, Sr. (U.S., b. Sicily, 1899-1964) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 9 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 10 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, and spiny oyster shell 11 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, coral, and turquoise
12 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver
1 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Pin, n.d. Silver
13 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and coral
2 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
14 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 15 Elliot Qualo (U.S., Zuni Pueblo, 1929-1970s) Belt-Inlay Tortoise Shell with Devil Dancer, ca.1967 Leather, silver, turquoise, coral, tortoise shell, and abalone shell
3 Verden Mansfield (U.S., Hopi, b. 1955) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, coral, onyx, and mother-of-pearl
7 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Snake Pin, ca. 1974 Silver, turquoise, coral, and malachite 8 Unknown Bracelet, n.d. Silver, olivine, and coral 9 Leroy Kewanyama (U.S., Hopi, b. 1958) Pin, n.d. Silver
13 Victor Coochwytewa (U.S., Hopi, b. 1922) Necklace, n.d. Silver and turquoise 14 Vic Glover Pin, n.d. Silver 15 Phillip Honanie (U.S., Hopi, b. 1943) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
4 Bobby Lujan (U.S., Taos Pueblo, 1922-2012) Necklace, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster shell, coral, and turquoise
16 10 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Pin, n.d. Silver 17
5 Bobby Lujan (U.S., Taos Pueblo, 1922-2012) Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, spiny oyster shell, and coral
11 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Untitled, ca. 1970s Silver, coral, turquoise, and onyx
Bernard Dawahoya (U.S., Hopi, b.1953) Bracelet, n.d. Silver Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, turquoise, onyx, and green amber
18 Anthony Lovato (U.S., Santo Domingo Pueblo, b. 1958) Bracelet, n.d. 6 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Silver and turquoise Bracelet, n.d. Frog Fetish, n.d. Silver, spiny oyster shell, onyx, Serpentine and spiny turquoise, and mother-of-pearl oyster shell
1 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Sunface Brooch/Pin, n.d. Silver, turquoise, mother-of-pearl, spiny oyster shell, green amber, coral, and onyx
7 Kenneth Begay (U.S., Navajo, 1913-1977) Bracelet, n.d. Silver, ironwood, turquoise, coral, and onyx
2 McBride Lomayestewa (U.S., Hopi, 1932-2002) Spoon with Crow Mother (Angwusnasomtaqa) Design, n.d. Silver
8 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
14 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise 15 Preston Monongye (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], 1927-1987) Bracelet, n.d. Silver and turquoise
16 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) 9 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Ring, n.d. Channel Inlay Pin of Silver and turquoise 3 Dennis and Nancy Edaakie Rainbow Man, n.d. (U.S., Zuni Pueblo, Dennis: Silver, turquoise, coral, jet, 17 Unknown (U.S., Santo 1931-2008, Nancy: b. 1937) abalone shell, mother-ofDomingo Pueblo) Pin, n.d. pearl, and tortoise shell Earrings, n.d. Silver with inlaid coral, turquoise, Onyx, spiny oyster shell, onyx, mother-of-pearl, abalone, 10 Michael L. Slim turquoise, and mother-of-pearl and tortoise shell (U.S., Navajo, b. 1967) Bracelet, n.d. 18 Unknown (U.S., Santo 4 Preston Monongye Silver and lapis lazuli Domingo Pueblo) (U.S., Mission [adopted Hopi], Earrings, n.d. 1927-1987) 11 Unkown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Turquoise, coral, lapis, agate, Pin, n.d. Untitled, n.d. balsa wood, mother-of-pearl, Silver, spiny oyster shell, Spiny oyster shell and charoite and onyx and turquoise 19 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) 5 Jimmy Herald (U.S., Navajo) 12 Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Bracelet, n.d. Pin, n.d. Pillbox, n.d. Silver, mother-of-pearl, and Silver and turquoise Silver and turquoise green amber 6 Delbridge Honanie (U.S., Hopi, 13 Unknown (U.S., Navajo) b. 1946) Ring, n.d. Earrings, n.d. Silver, turquoise, ivory, Wood, silver, turquoise, and shell and coral
20 Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Ring, n.d. Silver and turquoise
Eugene B. Adkins Collection Eugene B. Adkins created one of the premier collections of art of the American Southwest. The University of Oklahoma is pleased to be working with the Eugene B. Adkins Foundation and the Philbrook Museum of Art to encourage research and preservation of this important part of our nation’s cultural history. A native Oklahoman, Eugene Brady Adkins had deep roots in Tulsa, where his grandfather, W. Tate Brady, operated the Brady Hotel, one of the city’s first. He was a civic leader and early advocate for the Tulsa Public Schools. Eugene Adkins earned a degree in art history at Dartmouth College and graduate degrees in business at Stanford University. He frequently spent summers in Santa Fe, which kindled the lifelong interest in the American Southwest that fostered his important collection of Native American art and that of the Santa Fe and Taos art colonies. He was a keen judge of artistic merit and had an encyclopedic knowledge of his collection’s artists and their cultural roots. The University of Oklahoma has a rich heritage in studying and supporting the art of the American Southwest, beginning with the arrival of art professor Oscar Jacobson in 1915. Jacobson developed numerous relationships with the art colonies in Santa Fe and Taos and with the Native American artists of the region. This…exhibition of the Eugene B. Adkins Collection continue[s] the university’s commitment to this artistic heritage.
Native American Jewelry Collection
Jewelry, silverwork, and carved fetishes compose the single largest category of art, Native or non-Native, in the Adkins Collection. This jewelry collection is also one of the single largest ever amassed, rivaling that of famed trader C. G. Wallace as well as those of the Fred Harvey Company and School of American Research. Not only is this grouping large, it is also diverse and contains pieces of exquisite craftsmanship, creativity, and historical significance. Although most of the work in the collection can be categorized as jewelry meant to be worn as adornment (bracelets, necklaces and pendants, rings, pins, earrings, buckles), the collection also features various types of objects and serviceware, including teapots, trays, and boxes. Many of the pieces represent distinctive cultural traditions developed by southwestern jewelers in the late 1800s and passed on through the generations. Other pieces highlight the bold innovations that characterized the modern era of Native design in the 1960s and ‘70s. . . . Adkins continued collecting into the early twenty-first century, purchasing pieces from the next generation of innovators, who carried on the tradition of experimentation established by Loloma and others.
– Christina E. Burke, excerpted from “Tradition and Innovation,” The Eugene B. Adkins Collection: Selected Works (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011)
– President David L. Boren, excerpted from foreward to The Eugene B. Adkins Collection: Selected Works (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011)
This publication, printed by the University of Oklahoma Printing Services, is issued by the University of Oklahoma. 1,000 copies have been prepared and distributed at no cost to the taxpayers of the State of Oklahoma.
Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art The University of Oklahoma 555 Elm Avenue Norman, OK 73019–3003 www.fjjma.ou.edu
Eugene B. Adkins Native American Jewelry Collection
Eugene B. Adkins Collection Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
Cover: Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Snake Pin, ca. 1974 Silver, turquoise, coral, and malachite
Page 2: Michael Kabotie (Lomawywesa) (U.S., Hopi, 1942-2009) Belt Buckle, 1981 Silver and turquoise
Page 3: Harrison Jim (U.S., Navajo, b. ca. 1970) Pin, n.d. Silver and turquoise
Page 4: Charles Loloma (U.S., Hopi, 1921-1991) Untitled, ca. 1970s Silver, coral, turquoise, and onyx
Page 5: Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Channel Inlay Pin of Rainbow Man, n.d. Silver, turquoise, coral, jet, abalone shell, mother-of-pearl, and tortoise shell
Page 6: Unknown (U.S., Zuni Pueblo) Frog Fetish, n.d. Serpentine and spiny oyster shell