Turquoise/Native American jewelry

[dh66]

Fred Harvey era stamped thunderbird pin. Back says hand made and sterling. No artist's mark.

I replaced the JBS branding iron pin that was on my Open Road with it.

 

[RBH]

View attachment 607641 View attachment 607644

Fred Harvey era stamped thunderbird pin. Back says hand made and sterling. No artist's mark.

View attachment 607648
I replaced the JBS branding iron pin that was on my Open Road with it.

I love it!!!
Great minds and all!!!

 

[dh66]

I love it!!!
Great minds and all!!! View attachment 607900 View attachment 607901

Perfect!!!

 

[Bamaboots]

From former member Michael Schmaltz, something to hold your jellybeans.

Big Michael Schmaltz Native American Algonquin Sterling Turquoise Glass Jar Box | eBay

 

[alanfgag]

From former member Michael Schmaltz, something to hold your jellybeans.
View attachment 608871
Big Michael Schmaltz Native American Algonquin Sterling Turquoise Glass Jar Box | eBay

Wow... what a great find. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Bamaboots]

Wow... what a great find. Thanks for sharing.

Alan, you’re welcome. Knew you would appreciate it. I thought it was a unique and fun piece.

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks to Greg for sharing the auction for this Michael Schmaltz (former lounge member Michaelshane) piece. I've admired Michael's work for some time but have never come across a piece to purchase until now. Here it is cleaned up some. It

will make a nice Mother's Day gift for my bride.

 

[alanfgag]

A long necklace of Navajo pearls - large hand made coin silver round and hogan beads with a small concho at the tie... perhaps early 20th century. Recently acquired.

 

[Bamaboots]

Thanks to Greg for sharing the auction for this Michael Schmaltz (former lounge member Michaelshane) piece. I've admired Michael's work for some time but have never come across a piece to purchase until now. Here it is cleaned up some. It View attachment 612000

View attachment 612001
will make a nice Mother's Day gift for my bride.

You're welcome. That's a good get. Cleaned up really well. Stunning beads too.

 

[Bamaboots]

Cleaned this no name buckle set up a bit before transferring it to a new belt.

 

[4444Design]

I'm looking for a thunderbird-pin for my hat as well ...

can anyone point me towards a source?

 

[Bamaboots]

Vintage Navajo Thunderbird Pins for sale | eBay

 

[alanfgag]

I keep a few searches active on eBay for work by Native silversmiths whose work I have collected over the years. One that rarely returns a match is Sam Roanhorse - younger brother of Ambrose Roanhorse, an important figure in the history of 20th century Native American craft. There is some confusion identifying works by Ambrose Roanhorse who often did not mark his pieces with his own hallmark. Sam Roanhorse used a distinctive fluid "SR" and the work I've found with this mark ranges in design but is always beautifully crafted.

So when I saw a notification for a ranger belt last weekend I moved quickly. It arrived yesterday and I am thrilled with the work and condition of this piece... the belt is pristine and appears not to have been worn much if at all. Sam Roanhorse is considered to have lived c.1916-1988 - was taught by his brother and worked for the White Hogan and other notable shops in the 1940s - 1970s. The bottom picture shows the (now) four pieces of his in my collection.

 

[BobHufford]

I found these brass hatbands by Santo Domingo Pueblo artist Leo Coriz interesting and unusual (and for $70 for the pair they were worth a gamble).

 

[Questionaira]

Hey folks, I’m looking at maybe buying this ring. My problem is I cannot find the initials anywhere online. Initials of WT. I have found TW (Terry Wadsworth - Hopi) who didn’t do it. I have found Tim Kee Whitman who primarily signs with WKW but sometimes alternates for WK on smaller pieces.

The seller is advertising it as Navajo. I cannot find any proof that this is. Does anyone know any Navajo artists with the initials or signature of WT?

My other red flag, besides the fact I cannot find WT, is that the metal seems to have faded on the top. On other Navajo pieces I have seen (including those on this thread) the metal does not do that. The seller lists it as stainless steel.

Any help or guidance in the right direction would be appreciated!

 

[handymike]

I just discovered a stamp on my bracelet.

 

[alanfgag]

Hello all - a bump to this thread with a recent addition to my collection. This U.S. Navajo 70 tufa cast bracelet is likely c.1940, its mark attributed to the recently formed Navajo Arts and Crafts Guild in Fort Wingate New Mexico. I have two other pieces that originated from this source during the short life of the stamping program. The quality is very fine and the piece is robust, weighing in just over 4 ounces. I will likely polish it up a bit. Here is a link to an article on the brief history of this marking program initiated by the Indian Arts & Crafts Board in the late 1930s.

Quest for Authenticity

cheers,
Alan

 

[alanfgag]

Here are the three bracelets in my collection produced during the IACB marking era. I have one necklace - also marked U.S. Navajo 70. The program relied on one or two sets of individual letters and numerals and the process of inspecting, approving and certifying the qualifying pieces by stamping the U.S. Navajo mark must have been painstakingly slow - accounting for the small number of pieces identified before the program was abandoned after several years. The two pieces to the left were stamped for the Fort Wingate Silversmith Guild - soon to become the Navajo Arts and Crafts Guild. The bracelet with turquoise stone was stamped U.S. Navajo 1 - identified for sale at Charles Ilfeld's Gallup Mercantile Co. More than 1000 pieces were given that stamp - the most for any trading post. A much smaller number display U.S. Navajo 70. Much of the review and stamping was done by Ambrose Roanhorse himself and I think that these two pieces with the Guild mark might have been his work he was a founding member of the Fort Wingate Guild.

Anyhow, thanks for looking.

 

[Bamaboots]

Does anyone else here share this interest?

Some. You just quoted the first post from the first page of 56 of them.

 

[alanfgag]

Gift from an old friend who knows I collect this stuff. Surprise to find this whimsical bolo in one of my Native hallmark books in the section for Patania's Thunderbird shop.