Bert Puhuyestiwa — Hopi Silversmith
Bert Puhuyestiwa was the first president of the Hopi Silvercraft Guild. He came to silver through the G.I. Bill class that Paul Saufkie and Fred Kabotie began for Hopi veterans after World War II. Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver records that he began silver work in 1948 under the G.I. Bill (Wright 2003, p. 79), and shows him in photographs of the veterans' class of 1949 at the Hopi High School, studying Hopi designs with Kabotie and Saufkie (Wright 2003, p. 39).
Margery Bedinger's Indian Silver gives the class history: it opened in February 1947 with thirteen men, Saufkie teaching technique and Kabotie as art director, and graduated in January 1949. "The graduates organized the Hopi Silvercraft Guild, Bert Puhuey Estewa, president, and selected the Hopi sun shield as their trademark" (Bedinger 1973, p. 202). Paula A. Baxter's Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry also names him the guild's first president, "active from the 1950s" (Baxter 2000, p. 72).
Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, spelling the name Bert Puhuyestewa, lists him as Hopi, active from the late 1940s in set stones and stamp and file work, and a member of the "Hopi GI Bill class of 1947-1949" (Hougart 2022, p. 256). Wright notes that he "Had not done silversmithing for some time, before 1972," and that his nephew, Howard Dennis, took up the craft in 1991 (Wright 2003, pp. 79, 104).
His hallmark
Wright and Hougart both record a pictorial mark for him, a katsina figure that Wright indexes as Crow Mother (Wright 2003, pp. 79, 119; Hougart 2022, p. 256). His nephew Howard Dennis uses a mark of the same subject (Wright 2003, p. 104), so compare the drawings before attributing a piece.
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References
- Wright, Margaret Nickelson. Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing. Revised edition. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2003.
- Bedinger, Margery. Indian Silver: Navajo and Pueblo Jewelers. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1973.
- Baxter, Paula A., with Allison Bird-Romero. Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry: A Guide to History, People, and Terms. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 2000.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
- 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.
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 263) recorded Bert Puhuyestiwa, who lived from about 1923 to 1999, as Hopi of Mishongnovi, active from about 1948 into the 1980s in silver and copper overlay, appliqué, stampwork and set stones, the uncle of Howard Dennis, educated at Keams Canyon Boarding School and the Santa Fe Indian School, and an Army veteran of World War II stationed on Guam. [5]
Schaaf (2003) wrote:
“He worked first in copper, creating stampwork link concha belts, bracelets and other forms.”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 263 [5]
Schaaf (2003) continued:
“He excelled in appliqué and became one of the first to make overlay jewelry.”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 263 [5]
Schaaf (2003) added:
“He created fine jewelry for over 40 years.”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 263 [5]
Field Notes by Mateo James
I notice the books describe his career length differently. Wright says he had not done silversmithing for some time before 1972, while Schaaf's 2003 register says he created fine jewelry for over 40 years and lists him active into the 1980s. I show both as printed.
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