Irene Clark
Overview
Irene Clark (born 1950) is a Navajo silversmith who works in many styles, though mostly micro-inlay and mosaic inlay, along with inside stamp work, in both gold and silver.
Hougart documents her husband, Carl Clark (not yet in the directory), as a smith in his own right.
Collector's caution: Her documented mark is the initials I C, stacked, inside a symbol. An initials mark plus an uncertain enclosing symbol is thin ground for attribution; read any stacked I C stamp together with the work's style before assigning it.
The Mark
"Irene Clark (1950-; Navajo). Many styles, but mostly micro- and mosaic-inlay; inside stamp work; gold, silver. Mark: I C (stacked, inside a symbol)"
— Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022).
The marks as documented in Hougart's hallmark reference: I C (stacked, inside a symbol).
Know more about this artist? Contact T.Skies.
From the Library: Bassman, The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry (1997)
1997 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1997, not today.
Bassman (1997) pictured a cast set by Irene and her husband:
“Cast silver bracelet and ring with Yei figure using a micro-fine mosaic inlay technique with turquoise, lapis lazuli, jet, red and pink coral, white shell, and lavulite, made by Irene and Carl Clark.”
— Bassman (1997), p. 54 [1]
From the Library: Jacka, Navajo Jewelry: A Legacy of Silver and Stone (1995)
1995 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1995, not today.
According to Jacka (1995, p. 99), Irene Clark designed most of the pieces and did the metalwork, while her husband Carl ground the stones to minute sizes and fitted them together in mosaic patterns, a technique they called "micro-fine inlay." [2]
Carl Clark described the idea to Jacka in 1995; they
“use the fine inlay as the picture, the silver or gold as the frame.”
— Jacka (1995), p. 99 [2]
From the Library: Baxter, Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry (2000)
2000 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2000, not today.
According to Baxter (2000, p. 83), Irene and Carl Clark and their son Carl Jr. (Navajo) were the creators of a technique called microscopic inlay, a form of intarsia (mosaic) inlay requiring the complex arrangement of many micro-fine stones ground, sealed and shaped into delicate designs. [4]
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 116) recorded Irene Clark as Navajo, born at Bird Springs, Arizona, and living in Phoenix as of 2003, with a third prize for mosaic rings at the 2002 Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup and her work in the 2002 exhibitions Jewels of the Southwest in Santa Fe and Changing Hands in New York. [5]
Schaaf (2003, p. 116) quoted the dealer Gene Waddell describing Carl and Irene Clark as self-taught and noting that one of their bracelets could hold five to six thousand stones. [5]
Sources
- Bassman, Theda. The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry. Photography by Gene Balzer. Walnut, California: Kiva Publishing, 1997. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1997.
- Jacka, Lois Essary. Navajo Jewelry: A Legacy of Silver and Stone. Photographs by Jerry Jacka. Flagstaff: Northland Publishing, 1995. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1995.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
- Baxter, Paula A., with Allison Bird-Romero. Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry: A Guide to History, People, and Terms. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 2000. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2000.
- 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.