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| Hopi Indian Jewelry Native American jewelry has changed dramatically in the last half century and continues to evolve as new patterns, methods, and raw materials come into use. Whereas most jewelry of the previous period was made by Hopi, Zuni, Navajo and Rio Grande Pueblo people, Native jewelers today represent a cross section of tribes from Alaska to the Southwest and all points east. Photo: Hopi Silversmith, 1930. For example, inlay techniques formerly used almost exclusively by the Zuni, are now employed by artists of many tribes. The erasure of what were strict lines is a positive. Artists are now free to borrow, experiment, and innovate. Native Americans are no longer isolated in their craft, tightly bound by tradition, but now work in a constantly evolving art form. Buy Hopi Indian Jewelry Jewelry making was brought to the First Mesa village of Sichomovi in north eastern Arizona by a Zuni silversmith named Lanyade and by 1906 there were active silversmiths in all the Hopi villages. Up until 1940 the jewelry was similar to Zuni and Navajo, however, a new style utilizing designs from pottery, basketry and textiles was gradually introduced which gave pieces a distinctive look. After World War II, a group of returning Hopi were trained to use ancient Hopi pottery designs and these continue until present. Hopi jewelry is most likely to be overlay which employs two pieces of silver. There is a base piece to which is soldered the design which is cut out of the top sheet with a fine saw. The remaining negative area is tooled with a texture and is oxidized with chemicals. If an artist uses a combination of silver and gold, the base piece will most likely be silver. Another popular Hopi style is mosaic inlay, popularized by the late Charles Loloma who, in 1972, used mosaic inlay on the inside of a gold bracelet, placing stones against the wearer's skin which was invisible to the viewer. Hopi Indian Charles Loloma's influence in the field of Indian art has been pronounced. He was probably the first prominent Indian craftsman who worked outside the traditional Indian influence, and this dual influence resulted in a unique personal style that has been widely imitated among Indian craftsmen. Charles Loloma's "channeling" technique evolved from an accidental split in a large stone. He took advantage of the split, pieced it back together, and in order to make the break less obvious, added other stones to either side, creating a mosaic effect. Mosaic jewelry has since become a separate style. Loloma once said that he works to allow the stone to express itself. It is this sensitivity to materials and circumstance that makes Loloma the innovative designer he is. In later years Loloma continued to work in turquoise, explaining that he was obtaining some of the best turquoise and combining it with gold because "it is so rare and unique...." He is one of the first Native Americans to make jewelry using gold. Loloma's innovations opened the door for much of modern Hopi work which may employ gold and diamond accents along with a wide variety of stones. Hopi Reservation HOPI INDIAN WORLD VIEW Hopi Indians see the world in a very different way than most Americans, yet they too have always congregated into cities or Mesas, since ancient times. However, the Hopi say there is no uniform history of the tribe. They are a "gathering of clans," each with its own social and ceremonial identity, and its own history of migration to the Hopi Mesas in what became northeastern Arizona. Archaeologists try to analyze Hopi migrations as discrete episodes, while the Hopi emphasize movement of clans over time, from village to village, "leaving a trail of ancestral sites." Although unusually beautiful, the land of the Hopi in northeastern Arizona is one of sparse rainfall, searing summers, and icy winters, rendering day-to-day existence difficult for the Hopi, who consequently see themselves and their place in the environment as a balance requiring careful maintenance. It is through jewelry making that many modern Hopi maintain historic cultural norms while adjusting to contemporary influences in the American society. Hopi Witch Performing A Ritual Hopi Indian Dancing at Harvest Hopi Women Placing Jewelry in Her Hair, 1930 |
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