Doran Sehongva — Hopi Silversmith
Doran Sehongva learned at Hopicrafts and began silverwork at Shipaulovi in 1975, according to Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver, a register of Hopi smiths and their hallmarks, which lists him as Doran Sehongva Puhudawa (Wright 2003, p. 90). He taught in turn: Wright records that Merle Sehongva learned from him (Wright 2003, p. 102).
Theda Bassman's The Beauty of Hopi Jewelry shows a bracelet with a lapis lazuli stone that he made in 1992 (Bassman 1993, p. 16). Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists him as "Doran Sehongva (Puhudawa) (?-2017; Hopi)," working in overlay with stone sets, active from the 1970s until his death in 2017 (Hougart 2022, p. 281).
His hallmark
Hougart gives his mark as D S, side-by-side or conjoined, in angular hand-stamped letters, and notes that pieces "may be marked for Hopicrafts" (Hougart 2022, p. 281). Wright lists two initials marks for him (Wright 2003, p. 120).
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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.
- 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.
- 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. 283) recorded Doran Sehongva as Hopi of Shipaulovi, the husband of Christine Polingyema, taught at Hopicrafts, the teacher of Merle Sehongva, and showing at Indian Market from 1997. [4]
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