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.
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.