Stamped Silver Tobacco Canteen with Turquoise on the Lid [SOLD]

This stamped silver canteen with turquoise was made by a skillful and creative Diné silversmith. Two circular discs were soldered together to form a round container. Stamped designs on one side are a four-pointed star with a circle at its center, outlined by a circle of u-shaped lines.  The opposite side is stamped with a floral design, outlined by a circle of dots.  The spout is square in shape and encircled by a double row of u-shape lines.  A flat silver foundation with a single turquoise gemstone on its center conceals the stopper, which is a silver strip in square design.  There is a silver loop on the lid to accommodate a secure line.

According to John Adair’s classic book Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths (see reference link below), the origin of tobacco canteens, like other Navajo pieces, was Mexican.  Mexican tobacco containers were made of rawhide and had a round shape with a wooden stopper. Mexican plateros also made copper and silver canteens, but their shapes were different. Though it is not certain exactly where the inspiration for silver canteens the Navajo made came from, it is known they were making them by 1880. Washington Matthews, an Army officer at Fort Wingate, described silver canteens being made by the local smiths.  

Adair also mentions that tobacco canteens are not very common. His reasoning behind this is that canteens are difficult to make and require more technical skill than other silver objects.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Stamped Silver Tobacco Canteen with Turquoise on the Lid is from the collection of a gentleman from San Francisco

Reference: Adair, John. Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths, University of Oklahoma Press, 1946

Relative Links: Diné of the Navajo Nation, Southwest Indian Jewelry: Silver Objects