Andrew Saufkie — Hopi Silversmith Hallmark

Biography by Mateo James

Andrew Saufkie's hallmark as photographed on an authenticated piece. © Turquoise Skies Inc.

Andrew Saufkie (born 1946) is a Hopi silversmith from Shungopavi, active since the 1970s. He is a member of the prominent Saufkie silversmithing family of Shungopavi village on Second Mesa.

The mark

What is known

Per Hougart 5e: Andrew Saufkie was born in 1946 and has been active since the 1970s. His specialty is overlay — the technique developed by the Hopi Silver Craft Guild in which a cutout design layer is soldered onto a solid base layer, creating a two-tone relief. He is the son of Paul Saufkie (1904–1998), the co-founder of the Hopi Silver Craft Guild in 1949 and one of the most significant figures in twentieth-century Hopi silversmithing.

Per Hopi Silver: Andrew Saufkie's clan is Bear. His village is Shungopavi. He began silverwork in 1971. He is the son of Paul Saufkie and "learned from the Guild" — meaning he trained through the Hopi Silver Craft Guild rather than directly under a named individual teacher.

The name "Saufkie" itself has a documented origin: per Hopi Silver (p. 72), Paul Andrew (Andrew Saufkie's father) "was the son of Andrew [Humiquaptewa]. He later used one of his Hopi names, Saufkie, as a last name, and now all his children use that as a last name." Andrew Saufkie's given name thus perpetuates his grandfather's first name, while his surname comes from his father's adopted Hopi name.

The Saufkie family is extensively documented in Hopi silver literature. Paul Saufkie Sr. taught veterans' silversmithing classes at Oraibi from 1948 to 1950 under the G.I. Bill program. Lawrence Saufkie (1934–2011), a son of Paul Saufkie and an Arizona Indian Living Treasure (1998), was Andrew's brother. Griselda (Gracilda) Saufkie (born 1935), wife of Lawrence, is also an award-winning overlay artist. Two grandsons of Paul Saufkie — Elliot Koinva and his brother Lauren — also learned silversmithing through the Hopi Guild. Wilmer Saufkie, listed in Hopi Silver as learning "from his father and mother, Lawrence and Gracilda Saufkie," began work at Shungopavi in 1990.

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References

• Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed., p. 277: "Andrew Saufkie (1946-; Hopi). Active since 1970s. Overlay. Son of Paul Saufkie. Marks: A. S.; A S (angular hand cut, 1970s); a bear paw (1980s)"
• Wright, Margaret Nickelson. Hopi Silver. Tabular smith listing: Andrew Saufkie, Bear clan, Shungopavi, began 1971, son of Paul Saufkie, learned from the Guild. Marks chart reference to p. 85. Name origin (Wright 2003, p. 72): "Paul Andrew was the son of Andrew. He later used one of his Hopi names, Saufkie, as a last name."
• Bedinger, Margery. Indian Silver: Navajo and Pueblo Jewelers. References to Paul Saufkie and the Saufkie family.
• Wright, Margaret Nickelson. Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing. Revised edition. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2003. Originally published by Northland Publishing. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2003.
• Bassman, Theda. The Beauty of Hopi Jewelry. Photography by Gene Balzer. Walnut, California: Kiva Publishing, 1993. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1993.
• 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.