George Kee — Navajo Silversmith
George Kee was a Navajo silversmith of the White Hogan circle, where stamp work met unusually shaped silver. Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists him as Navajo, died 1980, active from the 1940s, and records that he worked at the White Hogan and the Arizona Turquoise & Silver Company (Hougart 2022, p. 169).
Diana F. Pardue's Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry places him among the silversmiths who worked at the White Hogan with John Bonnell from the 1950s and "set new standards for unusually shaped metal containers, often combining them with ironwood" (Pardue 2007, p. 43). Pardue records that he came to Scottsdale with his cousin Kenneth Begay (Pardue 2007, p. 12); Gregory Schaaf's American Indian Jewelry I lists him among Kenneth Begay's students, and records his forms as bowguards, purse handles and chalices (Schaaf 2003, pp. 76, 204).
He was the brother of Allen and Ivan Kee and the father of Anthony Kee (Hougart 2022, p. 169; Schaaf 2003, p. 204).
His hallmark
Hougart gives his marks as G K, and G K with the White Hogan symbol and HAND MADE STERLING (Hougart 2022, p. 169).
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References
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
- Pardue, Diana F., with the Heard Museum. Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry. Photography by Craig Smith. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2007.
- 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.
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 204) recorded George Kee as the husband of Ella Kee and a smith for Atkinson Trading Co., and listed his forms as bowguards, purse handles and chalices. [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.