Augustine Panteah — Zuni Silversmith & Hallmark
Augustine Panteah (born 1939) is a Zuni silversmith active from the 1950s onward. He is documented as an early innovator in abstract mosaic jewelry, working primarily in channel and mosaic inlay as well as wire inlay techniques.
Panteah shares his hallmark stamp with his wife, Lorie Panteah, making their collaborative work identifiable by the joint mark. His pieces may also carry the stamp of the Zuni Cooperative Craftsmen Association (ZCCA), an organization that documented and promoted Zuni silversmiths and craftspeople during the latter half of the twentieth century.
His early entry into the craft in the 1950s places him among the generation of Zuni artists who helped establish the traditions of channel and mosaic inlay that became closely associated with Zuni jewelry in the broader market.
The Mark
"GUS & LORIE PANTEAH"
— 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. 160) named Augustine Panteah, with their mother Rose Gasper, as the teacher of his nephews Arnie L. Gasper and Duran Gasper, Zuni mosaic and channel inlay jewelers active from the 1980s. [1]
Schaaf (2003, p. 177) named Augustine Panteah among the nephews of the Zuni jeweler Bernard Homer, Sr. [1]
From the Library: Bassman and Bassman, Zuni Jewelry (2006)
2006 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2006, not today.
Motif names follow the captions in Bassman and Bassman (2006), an outside observers' record; the Apache people are the authority on the meaning of their own sacred figures.
Bassman and Bassman (2006) pictured a bracelet made in the 1960s:
“Inlay Apache Mountain Spirit Dancer made of tortoise shell, gold lip mother-of-pearl, turquoise, mother-of-pearl and coral by Augustine A. Panteah.”
— Bassman and Bassman (2006), p. 20 [2]
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.
- Bassman, Theda, and Michael Bassman. Zuni Jewelry. Revised and Expanded 3rd Edition. Photographs by Gene Balzer. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2006 (first published 1992). Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2006.
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.