Grant Jenkins — Hopi Silversmith Hallmark — T.Skies Co-Op
Grant Jenkins (pre-1924; Hopi; d. ca. 1935) was from Oraibi-Moenkopi and is among the earliest documented Hopi hallmark users. Wright's Hopi Silver records him working before 1924 and dying around 1935. His mark was a coyote head combined with an H (for Hopi).
Jenkins worked for jewelry stores in Phoenix and Flagstaff, including Graves Indian Store (later Skiles Indian Store), and is documented as a first cousin of Harold Jenkins. He was an important teacher figure: Randall Honwisioma learned silversmithing from Grant Jenkins at Graves Indian Store, and Morris Robinson began to work silver after living with Grant Jenkins in Phoenix. Harold Jenkins, another first cousin, did silverwork for about fifteen years after first receiving instruction from his wife's brother, Frank Nutaima.
The Mark
Wright records Grant Jenkins' hallmark as a coyote head combined with H (for Hopi), in use before 1924.
"Grant Jenkins — Coyote [head] — Oraibi-Moenkopi — pre-1924 — d. ca. 1935. First cousin of Harold Jenkins. Worked for jewelry stores in Phoenix and Flagstaff."
— Wright, Margaret Nickelson. Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing. Revised edition. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2003, p. 76.
Know more about Grant Jenkins or the early Hopi silversmithing tradition? Contact T.Skies.
From the Library: Wright, Hopi Silver (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
According to Wright (2003, p. 18), Grant Jenkins of Moenkopi worked at Phoenix shops from before 1924, including Graves Indian Store, Skiles and Vaughn's, was later employed by Browns Jewelers in Flagstaff, and died in 1934 or 1935. [1]
According to Wright (2003, p. 76), Grant Jenkins belonged to the Coyote clan; his hallmark in the listing is labelled 'Coyote Head & H'. [1]
From the Library: Adair, The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths (1944)
1944 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1944, not today.
Adair (1944, p. 194) listed Harold Jenkins and Frank Nutaima, the cousin and the teacher named above, among the Hopi silversmiths working at Moenkopi in 1938. [2]
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
“Grant Jenkins (hallmark - Coyote head & H)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 192 [3]
Schaaf (2003, p. 192) recorded Grant Jenkins as Hopi, active from before 1924 to 1935, a cousin of Harold Jenkins and Thomas Banyacya and the teacher of Randall Honwisioma, who worked at the Skiles, Graves and Vaughn's Indian Store in Phoenix and later at Browns Jewelers in Flagstaff, making bowls, bracelets, candlesticks and concha belts among other forms. [3]
Sources
- Wright, Margaret Nickelson. Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing. Revised edition. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2003. Originally published by Northland Publishing. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2003.
- Adair, John. The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths. The Civilization of the American Indian Series. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1944. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1944.
- 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.
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.
Name card shown; hallmark photo to come.