Specializing in Hopi Jewelry

toll free #:         877-894-4038
international #: 970-586-4529

Duane Tawahongva was born and continues to live in Mishongnovi.  He is self-taught, having learned his craft by watching others, especially his older brother, Berra.

What he wants people to know about his work:  "There is good karma in the symbols I use.  Good Spirit is passed on to those who buy the pieces and wear them."  Duane often uses or incorporates designs from local petroglyphs in his work. 

His home is a frequent stop on tours departing from the Hopi Cultural Center, where he has the opportunity to answer questions and share his beliefs about his culture and craft.
This member of the Coyote Clan uses his initials DT as his hallmark.

Please meet the husband and wife team of Eddison Wadsworth Soohafyah and Cheryl Wadsworth Soohafyah.  Cheryl is another of the fine female silversmiths at Hopi.  She is from the village of Mishongnovi and marks her jewelry with initials CW.

Cheryl and Eddison live just below the rim of the Second Mesa between the villages of Mishongnovi and Shungopavi - they have a tricky driveway, but what a view from their front door!

Eddison is son of Ted Wadsworth, from the village of Shungopavi.  Eddison's hallmark is Lakon, a cloud symbol referring to the Basket dance.

Anderson's hallmark is the Sun's Forehead his clan symbol with a snake.

Berna is the other half of this team.  She and Anderson live in Apache Junction, just outside Phoenix, Arizona.  There they have a studio where they make and paint by hand Christmas tree ornaments.  Each carefully crafted ornament represents something from the life of the Hopi people.  When the piece is completed, it is quietly blessed by them, thus making it something special!

Cheston Dalangyawma is the son of Silversmith, Ramon Dalangyawma, who has taught him the art of making silver overlay jewelry.  At present, Cheston is living in Artesia, NM and working as an instructor at the Federal Police Academy.  Pictured at left with Mowi  and daughter, Isabella (Hopi name Tawavensie) when she was an infant (March 2017). She is a "big girl" of 6 years old now.  When Cheston has the time, he will make a few pieces of overlay jewelry, which often appear in Ramon's shop in Hotevilla on Third Mesa.  He is very proud of his beautiful family!

"Hello, my name is Merle Namoki .  I'm of the Sun's Forehead Clan from the village of Shungopavi on Second Mesa, AZ.  I'm a Silversmith by trade and I make  Hopi Overlay Jewelry to support my family, to help put food on the table, clothing on my kids' backs  & put a roof over their heads & of course, pay bills.  This was taught to the WWII Veterans that took the class at the Hopi Co-op Guild on Second Mesa.  This was envisioned  by our Elders & Veterans, with the help of Dr. Harold S. Colton & Mary Russell Ferrell Colton & by the Museum of Northern AZ.  This technique called Hopi Overlay, which we call our own, was passed down from generation to generation.  I was happy & lucky that I took the class & received my Certificate back in 1989 & am still active today.
Hopi Tutsqua (Land) is our love and will always be.  It's the land upon which our leader fixes and tells the dates for our religious life.  Our land, our religion and our life are one, and our leader with humbleness, understanding and determination, performs his duty to us by keeping them as one and thus insuring prosperity and security for the people.  From the land, each true Hopi gathers, the authority of his rightful obligation.  Our footprints mark well the trails to those sacred places where each year we go in performance of our duties. 
Kwa-Kwah!  Thank you!"

Merle uses his clan symbol, the Sun's Forehead as his hallmark.  Merle lives in the Second Mesa village of Shungopavi with his wife, Kayla James and daughters, Kalaila and Georgia.
He has also travelled to Japan to present at the Hopi and Zuni Artist Show to help educate an International audience to the "fake and imitation going on in the world."  Merle's message: "The people, & shops that sell fake and imitation do not have the quality of Arts and Crafts that you would get from the Artist him or herself."

Marcus Coochwykvia has been working as a Silversmith since the 1970's.  He learned his craft from Hopicrafts and was inspired by his brother-in-law, Glen Lucas.  He lives in Mishongnovi and is a member of the Bear Clan.  Although some of Marcus' pieces have a hallmark of a Bear Paw with Friendship Marks in the pad, more often, this man of few words will sign his pieces with his initials MC.

Marcus is shown here in August of 2011.
 

"Hello, Greetings!  My name is Clinessia Lucas.  I was born and raised on the Hopi Reservation.  I have been an artist since I was born.  The artistic genes just run threw my blood, from both my mother and father's sides of the family.  I picked up the drawing and painting skills fast as I was growing up.  My mother was a really great canvas painter and my father is a really good wood carver, as he made sculptures out of  cottonwood.  They both had great colorful imaginary minds to do any kind of art they put their hands on.  But to have the ability to work with silver was taught to me by my teacher, Mr. Gerald Lomaventema, who is a well known silversmith.  He taught me how to cut, mat, shape, overlay, set stones and cast with copper and silver.  My grandfather, Mr. Glenn Lucas was also a great well known silversmith as well as wood carver, whose artwork is now in the Northern Arizona Museum on display for people to see.  It is wonderful to have these hands-on skills and artists all around me encouraging me to keep striving for my dreams and to pursue my art career, that is, anything is possible if you keep putting your heart and mind to it.  So if it wasn't for my parents, teacher and grandfather to have these great colorful, extraordinary, meaningful talents, I wouldn't be here today to express myself and show everyone my meaningful artwork to this world.  I like to encourage other young up-coming artists out there to keep striving to do what you love to do.  Art can come in all types of ways we like to express ourselves.  Life is full of colors, meaning and expressions; it's up to the mind & body to fulfill its DESTINY."

"Hello, my name is Jerolyn Honwytewa.  I am from Second Mesa, AZ located on the Hopi reservation.  There are 3 villages Mishungnovi, Shupalovi and Shungopavi that make up the Second Mesa area.  I am from the village of Mishungnovi and I come from the Corn Clan.  I have been learning different silversmithing techniques, but the two techniques I have learned so far are tufa casting and Hopi overlay.  I first started out as a traditional Hopi sifter basket (Tusayah) maker, which I learned from my grandmother and I still continue to make today.  Just 2 1/2 years ago my father, Gerald Lomaventema started teaching young Hopi adults and I became a student of his.  His purpose is to revitalize the Hopi overlay technique and hand down this type of art to the new, younger Hopi generation.  There are adults actively making Hopi overlay today, all of whom were taught by my father.  Just recently, we decided to become a group called "Qwa-Holo Hopi Silversmithing" and opened up a jewelry shop at the Hopi Cultural Center, where we now display our finished artwork for anyone to purchase.  It has been quite a learning experience and it has taught me a lot about the art world as well as Hopi history.  My very first show was the Hopi Show in 2015, which happens every July 4th weekend at the Museum of Northern Arizona.  The Museum purchased one of my very first creations and it now has a permanent home in their archives.  Since then, so many opportunities have opened up, not only for me, but for the whole group as well.  We all travel and demonstrate our craft, for example, at the Grand Canyon Tower.  We do Museum reviews of Hopi artifacts: pottery, paintings, tools but mainly jewelry, which I like doing a lot and am extremely motivated to create more and more jewelry items that I can show to the world.  Usqualii"

I am Stephan Selina from the village of Soongopavi, located on Second Mesa, AZ.  At an early age, I learned the art of Hopi Overlay jewelry making from my grandfather, Weaver Selina.  I would watch him do the work in his shop.  A year ago (2021), I started to take silversmithing seriously hoping one day to achieve and master the skills my grandfather has.  Currently, I produce and sell my Overlay pieces from my grandparents shop, Rising Sun Gallery.  I plan to continue with this work, so maybe someday my son will pick up the art.  My hallmark is a bear with two "S"s.  (Previously I was using my grandfather's hallmark, the Rising Sun.)

My name is Hale Kahe and I'm from the village of Sitsomovi in First Mesa.  I come from a family of well-known potters.  I learned Hopi overlay in the early 90's from the silversmiths at Honani Gallery in Second Mesa.  I've been making overlay jewelry off and on for the past 30 years but more seriously the past few years.  It is something I very much enjoy and thankful that I learned and have something to fall back on.