Alton Yazzie — Navajo/Diné Silversmith
Navajo (Diné) silversmith. Profiled in Mark Bahti’s Silver + Stone (2007).
Alton Yazzie, a Navajo silversmith, was profiled with his son, Kee Yazzie, in Mark Bahti's Silver + Stone (2007).
The Mark
No hallmark is recorded for this artist in our sources yet. If you have a signed piece, we would love to see the mark.
From the Library: Bahti, Silver + Stone: Profiles of American Indian Jewelers (2007)
A 2007 profile, reviewed and corrected by the artists themselves before publication. Anything described as current describes 2006-2007, not today.
According to Bahti (2007, p. 202), Alton Yazzie learned jewelry-making from his father and from his grandfather John Bedonie, grandfather to several prominent Navajo silversmiths, and he made the stamps his son Kee calls his most valuable tools. [1]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 202), Alton left full-time jewelry-making in 1971 for a job with the Winslow City Water Department, and as of 2007 his style used overlay and engraving. [1]
Speaking to Bahti (2007), Alton Yazzie said:
“I'm looking forward to retiring and having more time to work silver.”
— Bahti (2007), p. 202 [1]
Family in the directory: Kee Yazzie
Sources
- Bahti, Mark. Silver + Stone: Profiles of American Indian Jewelers. Tucson: Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2007. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2007.
Know more about Alton? Contact T.Skies.
This profile is maintained in support of Native American silversmiths and is compiled from published sources, cited above. See something inaccurate, or want to add to it? Contact us.