Art Batala — Hopi Silversmith
Art Batala is listed in Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver register of Hopi smiths, which records that he learned at Hopicrafts under Glenn Lucas and began at Mishongnovi in 1975 (Wright 2003, p. 89). Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks names him among Glenn Lucas's students (Hougart 2022, p. 200).
A belt buckle he made appears in Theda Bassman's The Beauty of Hopi Jewelry (Bassman 1993, p. 37).
His hallmark
Wright labels his mark "Fox Ears & Initials, Fox" (Wright 2003, p. 89), and indexes it as "Fox Ears and Fox" (Wright 2003, p. 114). Hougart lists him among the smiths who mark with initials (Hougart 2022, p. 375).
Own a piece with this mark, or know more about this artist? Contact T.Skies.
References
- Wright, Margaret Nickelson. Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing. Revised edition. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2003.
- Bassman, Theda. The Beauty of Hopi Jewelry. Photography by Gene Balzer. Walnut, California: Kiva Publishing, 1993.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
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.