Edith Tsabetsaye — Zuni Silversmith

Edith Tsabetsaye is a needlepoint jeweler. Paula A. Baxter's Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry lists her as "Tsabetsaye, Edith (1940– , Zuni)," self-taught, and records that she began making her needlepoint turquoise jewelry in 1958 and turned to jewelry full time around 1973 (Baxter 2000, p. 181).

Her stones are cut and ground to rounded forms that rise above serrated bezels, and Baxter singles out her crescent-shaped curved stones. She has made concha belts, bracelets and rings, but necklaces are the form collectors prize most. Baxter records many awards at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, where she has entered since 1962, and a Best of Show at the SWAIA Indian Market in 1980 (Baxter 2000, p. 181).

Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists her as "Edith Tsabetsaye (1940-; Zuni)," active since the 1960s in raised, curved needlepoint, cluster work and inlay, in silver and gold. Hougart adds Best-in-Show awards at the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in 1977 and 1984 and its Living Treasure award in 2005, and names her brother, Roger Tsabetsaye (Hougart 2022, p. 316).

Theda and Michael Bassman's Zuni Jewelry shows cluster-work bracelets, a bow guard and pins of Kingman, Morenci and Lone Mountain turquoise that she made between 1968 and 1973 and kept in her own collection, along with a needlepoint ring captioned as a First Prize winner (Bassman and Bassman 2006, p. 19). Nancy N. Schiffer's Turquoise Jewelry shows a necklace and earrings set of hers (Schiffer 2008, p. 56).

Her hallmark

Hougart gives her marks as E. T. and E Z T, on a square or rounded plate (Hougart 2022, p. 316).

Under her married name the mark is different. Hougart's entry for Leonard Lonjose names his wife as "Edith Lonjose (Tsabetsaye)" and gives the mark they shared as L + E LONJOSE ZUNI, etched, with L + E and ZUNI inside a cloud symbol (Hougart 2022, p. 197).