Henry Roanhorse — Navajo Silversmith Hallmark
Henry Roanhorse's hallmark as photographed on an authenticated piece. © Turquoise Skies Inc.
Navajo · documented in the T.Skies hallmark library
Henry Roanhorse (1937–c.2005; Navajo). Active since the 1970s. Specializes in classic nugget work. Father of Califreda Roanhorse-Bowling. Shared his mark with his wife Louise Roanhorse. Mark: ROANHORSE.
What is known
Per Hougart 5e (p. 267–268): Henry Roanhorse was a Navajo silversmith born in 1937 and active from the 1970s until approximately 2005. His specialty was classic nugget work, the traditional Navajo technique of setting raw or semi-polished turquoise and coral nuggets in silver. Hougart cites the U.S. Social Security Index as the source for his dates.
Henry Roanhorse shared his stamp — the simple surname mark "ROANHORSE" — with his wife, Louise Roanhorse (1940–1999), who was also a practicing silversmith working in the same classic nugget style. Following Henry's death c.2005, the ROANHORSE stamp passed to their daughter, Califreda Roanhorse-Bowling, who continues to use it alongside her own CB ROANHORSE mark. Califreda's entry in Hougart describes her as working in nugget sets and cluster work.
The Roanhorse family surname carries significant weight in Navajo silversmithing history: Ambrose Roanhorse (1904–1982) — the pre-eminent 20th-century Navajo silversmith educator and director of the Navajo Arts and Crafts Guild — was a well-known figure, though Hougart does not document a direct family connection between Henry Roanhorse and Ambrose Roanhorse's line.
No additional information found in Bedinger, Adair, Schaaf, or Hopi Silver sources specific to Henry Roanhorse (as opposed to Ambrose Roanhorse).
Know more about Henry? Let us know.
References
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022), pp. 267–268.