Francis Leekya — Zuni Silversmith
Name-card placeholder — hallmark imagery to follow.
Francis Leekya (1915–2003; Zuni) was a fetish carver and silversmith active across most of the twentieth century. He worked in channel inlay and fish-scale inlay. He was the son of Leekya Deyuse (see Leekya Deyuse) — the celebrated Zuni fetish carver — and the brother of Alice Leekya Homer and Robert Leekya.
Francis Leekya is documented as a practitioner of both carving and silversmithing, carrying forward the Leekya family's multi-generational mastery of Zuni lapidary and inlay arts. His father Leekya Deyuse is among the most celebrated figures in twentieth-century Zuni artistic history.
His brother Robert Leekya (1931–2019; Zuni), active since the 1960s, worked primarily in nugget-style jewelry in silver and gold, and shared the R LB stamp with his wife Bernice Leekya. His sister Sarah Leekya (1932–2017; Zuni), active since the 1940s, worked in channel inlay, mosaic inlay, and carved stone jewelry.
"Francis Leekya (1915-2003; Zuni). Fetish carver and silversmith. Channel inlay; fish scale. Son of Leekya Deyuse. Brother of Alice Homer, Robert and [Sarah] Leekya. Marks: A bird head; L F ('F' is nested)" — Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022).
The marks are a bird head device (reflecting the Leekya family's deep association with fetish carving and zoomorphic imagery) and L F with the "F" nested inside or adjacent to the L. The bird head mark is a distinctive figural stamp linking silversmithing and carving traditions.
- Sarah Leekya — sister; daughter of Leekya Deyuse; mark S. Leekya
Know more about Francis Leekya or the Leekya family Zuni tradition? 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.