Herbert Taylor — Navajo Silversmith
Herbert Taylor was a Navajo silversmith who did everything by hand and stamp, and in his last years did it in gold. Paula A. Baxter's Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry gives his dates as 1951 to 1996 and records that his interest began in childhood, watching his grandfather work the metal; he started making jewelry in 1972 and was showing at Indian art shows by 1984 (Baxter 2000, p. 172). Lois Essary Jacka's Navajo Jewelry: A Legacy of Silver and Stone credits his father and sister with teaching him traditional techniques (Jacka 1995, p. 78).
He stopped for a few years. "I quit in 1979, and didn't start again until 1984," he told Jacka (as quoted in Jacka 1995, p. 40). Baxter credits early training as a welder for his ease in copper, gold and silver, and records that he made his own tempered-steel stamps and preferred tufa casting to lost-wax casting. His 1992 awards came at the Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial, the Heard Museum Guild Fair and the Southwest Museum Indian Art Show (Baxter 2000, p. 172).
Jacka records that he began working in gold in 1988 and by 1995 used it almost exclusively, without changing the work: "I still handwork and handstamp everything. I'm doing traditional work, it's just in gold instead of silver" (as quoted in Jacka 1995, p. 76). She shows a concha belt of his set with Lander turquoise, its raised rosettes and "butterflies" formed with male and female punch-and-die sets (Jacka 1995, p. 58), and an 18-karat gold ensemble in overlay with coral and Indian Mountain turquoise (Jacka 1995, p. 78). Sheila Tryk's Santa Fe Indian Market pictures him with Dina Huntinghorse among his silver concha belts and squash blossom necklaces (Tryk 1993, p. 56).
The mark he worked under
Hougart lists no mark under his own name. The entry for Dina Huntinghorse (Wichita/Kiowa), who collaborated with him until his death in 1996, gives her mark as D and H T (conjoined) (Hougart 2022, p. 148).
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References
- Baxter, Paula A., with Allison Bird-Romero. Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry: A Guide to History, People, and Terms. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 2000.
- Jacka, Lois Essary. Navajo Jewelry: A Legacy of Silver and Stone. Photographs by Jerry Jacka. Flagstaff: Northland Publishing, 1995.
- Tryk, Sheila. Santa Fe Indian Market: Showcase of Native American Art. Photography by Mark Nohl; introduction by Allan Houser. Santa Fe, NM: Tierra Publications, in cooperation with SWAIA, 1993.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
- 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.
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 303) recorded Herbert Taylor as stamping combined and joined initials or H. Taylor, a Navajo jeweler active from about 1972 in gold and silver fabricated and stampwork jewelry and watercolor paintings, living at Indian Wells, Arizona, a son of Carl Taylor and Lillian Thomas Taylor and the husband of Dina Huntinghorse-Taylor, with over 100 ribbons. [5]
Schaaf (2003) wrote:
“His sister, Anita Gene, helped him get started”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 303 [5]
Schaaf (2003) added:
“He was a weekend jeweler until 1984, when he committed himself fulltime.”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 303 [5]
Schaaf's 2003 hallmark index gives HT to two makers:
“HT (Herbert Taylor, Harold Trujillo)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 296 [5]
Field Notes by Mateo James
I notice the books place his birth about a decade apart. Baxter gives 1951 to 1996, while Schaaf's 2003 register gives about 1960 to the 1990s. Both agree he began in 1972, so I show each as printed.
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.