Bowman Paywa

Biography by Mateo James

Bowman Paywa — Zuni silversmith hallmark namecard

Name-card placeholder — hallmark imagery to follow

Overview

Bowman Paywa (1913–2002) was a Zuni inlay artist with an unusual documented career shape: active from the 1930s to the 1960s, then again around 2000–2001. He made set-inlay jewelry with Knifewing and Rainbow Man figures.

Hougart documents Jim Paywa as his son ('Son of Bowman Paywa'); Jim has no directory page yet, so the name stands unlinked. Bowman's marks: BP, and a tomahawk form whose qualifier is garbled in our scan.

The Mark

"Bowman Paywa (1913-2002; Zuni). Active 1930s-1960s; c.2000-2001. Inlay. Knife wing; rainbow man. Set inlay jewelry. Marks: BP; a tomahawk with [tail garbled in our scan]"
— Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022).

The mark as documented in the Hougart corpus: BP; a tomahawk with … (the qualifier is garbled in our scan).

References

  • Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. Schiffer Publishing, 2022.

Know more about this artist? Contact T.Skies.

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.