Navajo German Silver Tobacco Flask [SOLD]

The Navajo aesthetic is well known in jewelry and this aesthetic has carried over to all silverwork performed by them. They have mastered the techniques of silversmithing since the mid 1800s.

One of the things primarily made for their own use were tobacco canteens or flasks. They were generally made by attaching two domed stamped silver concha-shaped discs together and attaching a lidded spout, as was this one. This flask appears to have been constructed by taking a pair of plain german silver disks from Plains Indians hair pieces and putting them together. That would also explain the lack of decoration.

This canteen came in as part of a group. You can see the entire group by clicking on the second detail image link above.

Provenance: From the estate of Harold Street of Taos, NM. The Streets of Taos owned and operated a hotel in Taos in the early part of last century and this canteen was displayed in the hotel lobby. They later moved to Santa Fe and operated an Indian retail business called “The Streets of Taos” on Canyon Road.