Harold Lovato — Kewa (Santo Domingo) Silversmith
Harold Lovato cast his jewelry on two sides. William and Sarah Turnbaugh, in Indian Jewelry of the American Southwest, describe him as a Santo Domingo Pueblo craftsman known for his two-sided castwork, whose pieces often carry a more complex design on the reverse (Turnbaugh and Turnbaugh 2007, p. 72).
Mark Bahti writes that "Both Harold and Anthony followed their grandfather's tradition of sand-cast work" (Bahti 2007, p. 102). Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists him as Kewa, 1954 to 1997, active from the 1970s until his death in 1997, and notes that "Some cast work may also have channel inlay; bracelets; pendants" (Hougart 2022, p. 199).
His hallmark
Turnbaugh describes his hallmark as "initials plus a corn plant," cast into many of his two-sided pieces (Turnbaugh and Turnbaugh 2007, p. 36). Hougart gives it as "H L (conjoined, sometimes with a cornstalk)" (Hougart 2022, p. 199). Homer Lovato, listed directly below him, marks "H. L."; the corn plant is the difference.
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References
- Turnbaugh, William A., and Sarah Peabody Turnbaugh. Indian Jewelry of the American Southwest. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2007 (first published 1988).
- Bahti, Mark. Silver + Stone: Profiles of American Indian Jewelers. Tucson: Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2007.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
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.