Jan Loco — Fort Sill Apache Silversmith
Jan Loco textures silver against stone. Paula A. Baxter's Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry lists her as Fort Sill Apache, born 1955, and records that she began making jewelry in 1988, self-taught, drawing inspiration from the Apache sculptor Allan Houser, among others (Baxter 2000, p. 100).
The method is the signature. She lays sheet silver over a rock and hammers it until the rock's surface is in the metal; Pardue writes that she sometimes looks for an hour or more before she finds the surface she wants. She finishes the hammered surfaces with several grades of steel wool and white diamond compound, and works with hand tools only: shears, hammers, files (Pardue 2007, p. 81; Baxter 2000, p. 100).
Diana F. Pardue's Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry records her as "Apache, b. 1955," texturing her silver to resemble the rough rocks around her home in New Mexico. The four-point morning star recurs in her earrings and necklaces, and her brooches draw on the rabbits, turtles, coyotes and butterflies she sees there and on southwestern petroglyphs. Pardue shows her "Morningstar Necklace" of textured silver and obsidian, 1990, and a hammer-textured silver spiral pin, 2000 (Pardue 2007, pp. 81–82). Baxter adds carnelian, obsidian and onyx among her stones and notes that her necklaces are particularly prized (Baxter 2000, p. 100).
Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists her as "Jan Loco (1949-; Apache)," working in shaped silver, cast gold and copper, with hand-hammered silver "created by pounding ingot with a rock," and calls her a "Student of Allan Houser" (Hougart 2022, p. 190). The birth year differs: Baxter and Pardue print 1955, Hougart 1949.
Her hallmark
Hougart gives her marks as Jan Loco (Apache handmade, etched), J. LOCO (script) and J. Loco (etched, with "Spirit of the Rock" or "Human Spirit"), along with a cross mark (Hougart 2022, p. 190).
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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.
- Pardue, Diana F., with the Heard Museum. Contemporary Southwestern Jewelry. Photography by Craig Smith. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2007.
- 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.
- 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 (Southwestern Association on Indian Affairs), 1993. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1993.
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003) recorded that she
“signs J. Loco, hallmark - Spider Woman's”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 219 [4]
Schaaf (2003, p. 219) recorded Jan Loco as Warm Springs Apache, born in 1949, a granddaughter of Chief Loco, taught by Allan Houser, with Apache dancers, coyotes and rock art pictographs among her favorite designs. [4]
Schaaf (2003) wrote:
“She does everything by hand and uses no power tools”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 219 [4]
From the Library: Tryk, Santa Fe Indian Market (1993)
1993 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1993, not today.
Tryk (1993, p. 66), identifying her as Warm Springs Apache, pictured a star silver concha belt and cross earrings by Jan Loco and recorded that she achieved their texture by pounding the silver against a stone surface. [5]
Field Notes by Mateo James
I notice the books differ on her nation and birth year. Baxter lists her as Fort Sill Apache, born 1955, while Schaaf's 2003 entry records her as Warm Springs Apache, born 1949, the year Hougart also gives. Schaaf also names Allan Houser as her teacher, as Hougart does, where Baxter calls her self-taught. I show each as printed.
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Baxter's encyclopedia, quoted above, lists Jan Loco as Fort Sill Apache. Tryk's 1993 book names her Warm Springs Apache. The two books differ, so I show both.