Aaron Peshlakai — Navajo/Diné Silversmith & Hallmark
Aaron Peshlakai is a Navajo silversmith active since the 1990s. He works across a range of techniques including tufa casting, stamp work, appliqué, and the use of exotic materials. He is the son of Linda and Norbert Peshlakai and the brother of Natasha Peshlakai.
In 2004, Peshlakai was named a Goodman Fellow, an award recognizing excellence in Southwestern craft. The Hougart record also notes him as an award winner more broadly. No further biographical details, schooling, or institutional affiliations appear in the available source record.
The Peshlakai surname is associated with multiple Navajo silversmiths; the Hougart entry for Aaron Peshlakai specifically identifies his parentage as Linda and Norbert Peshlakai, which is a distinct family branch from other Peshlakai silversmiths in the reference.
The Mark
"0 X (a dot inside O; may be part of the design motif)"
— Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022).
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- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 253) recorded Aaron Peshlakai as Navajo, born about 1983, a son of Linda and Norbert Peshlakai and brother of Natasha Peshlakai, with a first prize at the Young Native American Artists Show at the Wheelwright Museum in 1996 and a second prize for jewelry without stones in the youth division at Indian Market in 2000. [1]
Sources
- Schaaf, Gregory, with Angie Yan Schaaf. American Indian Jewelry I: 1,200 Artist Biographies, ca. 1800-present. American Indian Art Series, Vol. 5. Santa Fe: CIAC Press, 2003. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2003.
This profile is maintained in support of Native American silversmiths and compiled from published references. See something inaccurate, or want to add to it? Contact us.
Name card shown; hallmark photo to come. © Turquoise Skies Inc.