It is uncertain when Navajo silversmiths began making candle holders but it is quite likely that it was in the early 20th century at the suggestion of traders who were constantly looking for items to sell to local residents as well as tourists.

Merchants like the Maisel Company in Albuquerque had smiths working on-site to whom they furnished materials and the smiths furnished the labor.  Such companies were likely an inspiration for new and unusual items.  The Fred Harvey Company was another source of inspiration for smiths.

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Gorman drew this pencil drawing of a seated male with pants and no shirt on December 29, 1968 at the time he was living in San Francisco. I showed the drawing to Gorman around 1995. He remembered drawing it but did not recall who the model was or to whom he gave it. He speculated he gave it to the model. I purchased it from an estate in San Francisco in the mid-1980s and it was probably the estate of the model.

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This original pastel drawing by R.C. Gorman was executed in 1985, a period recognized as possibly his best. It illustrates his ability to exhibit the full extent of his intended image through a minimum of lines. The full body of the female is so elegantly displayed in one simple line drawing, with the face and hair filled in with more detail.

In his portrayals of women, Gorman had no peers. His drawings are as individualistic as the models he used. The body of his work was directed toward the Navajo Indian women of his culture.

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The oldest son of famed Navajo artist Beatien Yazz, Irving Toddy attended Utah State University where he studied painting and illustration. He and several other Navajo painters became known as the "Gallup Realists." Because his work is so realistic, it is greatly different from traditional Navajo painting.

Toddy's favorite subject matter is the Navajo people and their environment, done in a realistic style.  He believes that the essence of an exceptional painting is a good drawing and he feels it is his drawing ability that has helped him develop his unique style. 

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David Dawangyumptewa is a Hopi/Navajo who says that he would like to be thought of as a painter of mystical or spiritual subjects.  He is a member of the Water Clanand often uses water as a theme.  His paintings are distinguished by his use of jewel-like color and Hopi symbolism.  He often paints on handmade paper as was done in this painting.  The deckled edges of the paper are typical of handmade paper. 

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Rebecca Lucario is known for a variety of pottery shapes, particularly for ollas, plates, and seed jars.  She has produced intricate fine-line designs, Mimbres animal designs and geometric designs.  Early in her career, over 20 years ago when this shallow dish was made, she used larger designs such as this single Mimbres fish floating in the base of the dish, surrounded by geometric elements encircling the edge of the dish.

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The artist is listed in a biographical publication under the name Janeele Talayumptewa Numkena.  The painting is signed Numkena Talayumptewa, so we are unsure of whether the artist's last name is Numkena or Talayumptewa.

The artist has exhibited at Hopi-tu Tsootsvilla in Sedona, Arizona, received an award at the 1991 Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup, New Mexico, and has exhibited at Santa Fe Indian Market.  That is the extent of the information I have found so far.  I do not know the age of the artist.  The painting is signed in lower right and dated 1990.

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Jaclas are comprised of two loops of turquoise and shell strung individually and then tied together in a fashion by which they can be hung from a nugget necklace.  Originally, in the 19th century, each of the units was made for use as earrings.  When not being worn, they were hung on a nugget necklace for storage.  Eventually, their use as earrings ceased and their use as a pendant on a necklace became permanent.  

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Neil David, Sr. (1944-Present) has an amazing talent for presenting the Hopi-Tewa clowns in their finest.  Something as simple as a clown sitting on the ground beating a drum and singing is depicted by Neil in a manner that causes one to smile when looking at it.  The faces of his clowns are amazingly interesting, whether joyful or fearful.  Neil has that unique talent of being able to paint clowns at their best.  This painting is signed in lower right and dated 1990.

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Jimmy Toddy was essentially a self-taught artist, his only early instructions being from the Lippincotts of Wide Ruins Trading Post where he spent most of his time as a child.  The Lippincotts were not trained in art instruction but their comments to him were beneficial.  After the end of World War II, there was a movement among some Native American artists to develop a more realistic approach to art than that taught atThe Studio of the Santa Fe Indian School.  Paintings in this style were more illustrative and explicit in details of realistic life.

In this large painting, the artist focuses our attention on the three Indians on horseback.  Other than the ground plane and a couple of birds flying overhead, there are no other objects to divert one's attention.  Each of the three young men is dressed in traditional Navajo clothing, wearing moccasins and headbands, and carrying either a sheathed gun or a spear.  They are out for a hunt but are talking and laying their plans before departing for the hunt.

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The potters at Cochiti Pueblo reacted to these invasions in a most intriguing manner. From about 1870 to 1920, they made pottery figurines, some in mockery of the new invaders and others of animals. birds and other objects.  These latter ones were most popular with Santa Fe merchants who were in need of small items of Native manufacture to sell to the many visiting tourists to Santa Fe.

This duck is typical of many small items made for the trade market.  We have classified it as a duck but maybe it is a bird of another nature.  It appears to have been made in the late 1800s or early 1900s.

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David Chethlahe Paladin was an extraordinarily talented artist.  Every painting by him that we have had has been so totally different from the others that one wonders if he can be ascribed a style other than very varied. 

While in college, Paladin learned to experiment with mixing clay, sand, and mud to develop different textures to fashion his art. This painting has most likely been created using a mixture of sand and paint. Three figures that he designated as "Trinity in Sand" are the predominate elements of the painting.  They are surrounded by a variety of shapes that fill the voids of the painting.  It is an amazingly beautiful mixture of texture, color and shapes. 

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Diane Calabaza (b.1954 -) He'Shi Flower is not recorded in any of my artist reference books but it is likely that she is related in some manner to San Ildefonso potter Blue Corn, whose name was Crucita Calabaza.  I know of no other Calabaza family at San Ildefonso.

Diane indicated on the back of this painting that it was painted with "natural earth colors." I am unsure if she meant that the paints were made from mineral earth materials or if she only meant that the shading was earth colors. 

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This painting is signed in lower right Tohoma '37, a signature that Quincy Tahoma used early in his career before changing the spelling to Tahoma.  He indicated, on verso, the title, date and his age of 17, which does not agree with a published date of birth of 1917.  At any rate, whether he was 17 or 20, the painting is an amazing work of art for a young person.  It is possible that someone else incorrectly wrote the age on the painting.

Tahoma presents us with a group of seven men, all of whom are singing vigorously.  An eighth one is apparently taking a nap. They are dressed in a variety of clothing from checkerboard to plain trousers, plaid to flower shirts, wrapped in blankets, and cowboy hats to bandanas.  As a background, he included an arbor with a wooden wall and a large arrangement of a green plant.

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Clara Lee Tanner, in her book Southwest Indian Painting: a changing art, compares Robert Chee to Harrison Begay in his strong ability to handle a great many colors and his tendency to stress the "intensity of tone in small areas." Chee, especially later in his very short life, could also be compared stylistically to Beatien Yazz.  Chee passed away at the age of 34.  Had he not passed away so soon, would we have seen many more spectacular paintings by him?  Probably so. 

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Figurine pottery has always been a tradition among the pottery-producing tribes.Cochiti Pueblo has always been at the forefront in this area, but other pueblos produced them too. There is evidence that Cochiti produced figurative pottery as early as the 19th century. Cochiti Pueblo potters are recognized as the 20th century's most adept potters at making humorous figurines, whether they are people or animals. This figurine is probably from the late 19th or early 20th century. The patina is a good indication of its age.

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Joseph R. Willis (1876-1960) was known for his portraits of American Indians, principally of New Mexico and Arizona. His work was realistic. Photography was another medium for which he was well known. Many of the photographs were used to make view-master reels and post cards, which have become quite collectible today.

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Maria and Julian Martinez were very creative artists and, early in their careers, were experimental with designs and shapes.  Sometimes we marvel at their creativity.  This bowl has a wide-flaring rim and is much more in the vessel shape of a traditional chile bowl or small serving bowl.  If it had been made at Santo Domingo Pueblo, there would be no doubt that it was meant for a chile bowl.

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Navajo silversmith Francis Jones was born in 1944 and at last report was living at or near Gallup, New Mexico.  One of his specialties is a squash blossom necklace comprised of Yei figures in the guardian rainbow style, such as this one. 

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Tea time at Cochiti Pueblo in the early 20th century.  This amazing small tea pot is beautifully decorated with floral designs.  Items such as this were what Cochiti potters made before the popularity of storytellers.  It is certainly from the early 20th century.  It is not signed with the name of the potter.

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