Eldon James — Hopi Silversmith Hallmark
Eldon James first worked at Hopicrafts when it opened in Phoenix, and moved with the shop to Kykotsmovi. Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver, a register of Hopi smiths and their hallmarks, records Eldon James as a member of the Rabbit clan, born in Hotevilla, who later moved to Shungopavi and began silverwork in 1962 (Wright 2003, p. 81). Eldon James died in 1979.
Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists him as "Eldon James (?-1979; Hopi)," active from the 1960s until 1979, working in overlay, and records that he "Worked with Hopicrafts in the 1960s"; it gives his marks as "E J; rabbit head" (Hougart 2022, p. 154).
The hallmark
Wright labels the mark "Rabbit." The printed drawing shows a rounded, heart-like shape with two long straight ears rising from the top, beside the outlined capital letters EJ (Wright 2003, p. 81).
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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.
- 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) entered him as
“Eldon James (Eldon C. James), (hallmark rabbit pictograph & EJ)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 191 [3]
Schaaf (2003, p. 191) recorded Eldon James as a Hopi silver overlay smith, born at Hotevilla and active from about 1962 to 1979, named Weaver Selina as his student, and noted that he took part in Indian Market in the early 1970s. [3]
Schaaf (2003) wrote that
“He was one of the first silversmiths to work for Hopicrafts.”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 191 [3]
Schaaf's 2003 hallmark index gives EJ to two makers:
“EJ (Eldon James, Evelyn Jiron)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 188 [3]
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.