Jake Livingston — Navajo/Zuni Silversmith
Jake Livingston works in gold inlay and in pieces that move. Lois Essary Jacka's Navajo Jewelry: A Legacy of Silver and Stone shows a gold inlay bracelet whose "reversible pendant in the center of the bracelet rotates; one side has a sun-face design; the other, a blue jay" (Jacka 1995, p. 96). When the jewelry market slowed, he told Jacka, "I began making custom silver-mounted show saddles, 'carving' the leather and hand engraving all the silver" (Jacka 1995, pp. 37–38).
Theda Bassman's The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry shows necklaces of his in "traditional Navajo stampwork" and a box in silver repoussé (Bassman 1997, p. 9). Mark Bahti heads his profile "JAKE LIVINGSTON NAVAJO" and records that he was born in 1946 (Bahti 2007, p. 93).
Bille Hougart lists him as Navajo/Zuni, born in 1946 (Hougart 2022, p. 189), and Bassman's index gives the same (Bassman 1997, p. 74).
He was born Jacob Haloo Jr. in 1946 at Pinehaven, New Mexico, to Jacob (Jake) Haloo Sr., of Zuni, and Lola Pinto, who is Navajo; his tribal affiliation follows his mother's Navajo line (Bahti 2007, p. 93). Seeking a name for himself rather than being a junior, he chose Livingston: "I took a name from my uncle's side of the family" (Bahti 2007, p. 93). Hougart records the same change: "Born Jacob Haloo, Jr. and later changed his name to Livingston" (Hougart 2022, p. 189). His sisters Lolita Natachu, Nancy Laconsello and Rolanda Haloo also make jewelry (Bahti 2007, p. 93). He is the father of Jay Livingston and Jason Livingston (Hougart 2022, p. 189).
His hallmark
Hougart gives his marks as "J L"; "JAKE L. (since 1976)"; "J - L LIVINGSTON" (stamped or etched script); and "J. I. LIVINGSTON" (co-signed with his wife Irene Owens) (Hougart 2022, p. 189). Bahti records the pieces he made with Irene as hallmarked "J&I LIVINGSTON" (Bahti 2007, p. 94).
Own a piece with this mark, or know more about this artist? Contact T.Skies.
References
- Jacka, Lois Essary. Navajo Jewelry: A Legacy of Silver and Stone. Photographs by Jerry Jacka. Flagstaff: Northland Publishing, 1995.
- Bassman, Theda. The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry. Photography by Gene Balzer. Walnut, California: Kiva Publishing, 1997.
- 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.
- 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.
From the Library: Baxter, Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry (2000)
2000 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2000, not today.
Baxter (2000, p. 99) lists him as Navajo/Zuni, born 1945. [5]
Baxter (2000) recorded how he began:
“Jake Livingston learned to make silverwork from his Zuni father. Livingston began silversmithing professionally in 1972.”
— Baxter (2000), p. 99 [5]
According to Baxter (2000, p. 99), his wife Irene (Navajo) assisted him with the inlay on his trademark designs of traditional Zuni bird motifs with small flowers and leaves. [5]
Baxter (2000) also recorded:
“He was named Indian Arts and Crafts Association (IACA) Artist of the Year in 1988.”
— Baxter (2000), p. 100 [5]
Baxter (2000) named him among the Navajo jewelers of the 1980s and 1990s whose work showed a solid mastery of materials and forms:
“Jake Livingston (b. 1945) (whose inlaid bird designs, among his other motifs, on silver pay tribute to his Navajo and Zuni heritage)”
— Baxter (2000), p. 117 [5]
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 205) named Jake Livingston, with Ted Charveze and Gibson Nez, among the influences on the Isleta/Navajo jeweler Michael Kirk. [6]
Schaaf (2003) recorded that he stamps
“Livingston, Jake L.”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 218 [6]
Schaaf (2003) added that he
“(collaborated sometimes with Irene Livingston)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 218 [6]
Schaaf (2003, p. 218) recorded Jake Livingston as Navajo/Zuni, born in 1946 and active from about 1972 in mosaic inlay, gold and silver jewelry, a Marine who served in Viet Nam and received three Purple Hearts, and the Indian Arts and Crafts Association's Artist of the Year in 1988. [6]
Schaaf (2003, p. 170) enters his father, Jacob Haloo, Sr. (Jake Haloo), a Zuni mosaic and inlay jeweler active from about the 1950s, and names Jake Livingston among his children. [6]
From the Library: Bahti, Silver + Stone: Profiles of American Indian Jewelers (2007)
2007 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2007, not today.
According to Bahti (2007, p. 93), Jake Livingston was born Jacob Haloo Jr. in 1946 at Pinehaven, New Mexico, to Jacob (Jake) Haloo Sr. of Zuni and Lola Pinto, who is Navajo; his tribal affiliation followed the maternal (Navajo) line, and he was fluent in both Navajo and Zuni. [3]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 93), Jake was included in the book because, when Bahti asked other jewelers whose work they admired, one silversmith after another named him. [3]
Seeking a name of his own rather than being a junior, Jake explained to Bahti (2007):
“I took a name from my uncle's side of the family”
— Bahti (2007), p. 93 [3]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 94), Jake learned by watching and helping his father, and his reversible pendants (spinners) grew out of experimenting with different types of work, including a four-sided pendant he made in 1972. [3]
After he went full-time into jewelry, Jake told Bahti (2007), Ben Nighthorse gave him advice:
“he encouraged me to do direct sales, said my work was too good to wholesale.”
— Bahti (2007), p. 94 [3]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 94), Jake's first juried entry was a reversible concha belt of birds at the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial, which won Best of Show; he went on to win ribbons at Santa Fe Indian Market, Red Earth, the Heard Museum and the Eiteljorg Museum, among others, and he usually set his work with Nevada Blue spiderweb turquoise. [3]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 94), his wife, Irene Owens, did the leaves and flowers in his inlay work, and those joint pieces were hallmarked “J&I LIVINGSTON.” [3]
Field Notes by Mateo James
Our page gives Jake Livingston's birth year as 1946, from Hougart, Bahti and Bassman. Baxter's 2000 encyclopedia gives 1945. I show both 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.