Teddy Weahkee, Zuni Pueblo Jeweler

Zuni Pueblo artist Teddy Weahkee (c. 1890-1965) was a remarkably versatile artist. Beginning in the 1920s, he achieved mastery in virtually all jewelry techniques, selling his work to C.G. Wallace and other traders. Weahkee specialized in intricate mosaic inlay, creating complex designs inspired by Zuni cultural figures. He was also a skilled carver of fetishes and miniature sculptures depicting Zuni human and ceremonial figures. He and Leekya Deyuse are considered pioneers in creating such figures for sale to the public, and both collaborated with archaeologists on the excavation of Hawikku, an ancestral Zuni Pueblo.

Inspired by artifacts unearthed at Hawikku, Weahkee revived mosaic overlay on shells and inlay work in wood. His primary subjects were figures from Zuni tradition, though he also incorporated imagery from Hopi and Plains Indian cultures. From the 1920s through the 1950s, his artistic repertoire expanded to include fine art paintings in oil on canvas, two-dimensional dance figures on deerskin, and three-dimensional compositions. Weahkee's work was highly sought after throughout his lifetime.

TAGS: jewelry,fetishes, sculptures, Leekya Deyuse, Zuni Pueblo, Hopi Pueblo, Plains Indian, fine art paintings