Lee Weebothee — Zuni Silversmith
Zuni silversmith. Profiled in Mark Bahti’s Silver + Stone (2007).
Lee Weebothee, a Zuni silversmith, was profiled in Mark Bahti's Silver + Stone (2007).
The Mark
Recorded mark: LM/W, a mark he shared with his wife, Mary (Schaaf (2003), p. 317).
From the Library: Bahti, Silver + Stone: Profiles of American Indian Jewelers (2007)
A 2007 profile, reviewed and corrected by the artists themselves before publication. Anything described as current describes 2006-2007, not today.
Speaking to Bahti (2007) about working with his late wife, Mary, Lee Weebothee recalled:
“We started on the cluster business. The designs were all Mary's ideas.”
— Bahti (2007), p. 198 [1]
Asked by Bahti (2007) how he makes the texture on many of his rings, Lee Weebothee said:
“It's a secret. Even my kids don't know”
— Bahti (2007), p. 199 [1]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 197), Lee learned from his father, Wilbur Weebothee, to hammer sheet out of ingot and to make his own silver solder, which as of 2007 he still made rather than buying it; Bahti dates the start of his training to 1937, at age nine. [1]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 198), Lee also watched the famed early Zuni silversmith Juan Dedios, his father's step-uncle, who had taught Lee's father, and learned sand-casting from watching him. [1]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 199), Lee made the bezel work and Mary (1934-95) did the cutting and polishing when they began cluster work, on turquoise brought by Gallup trader Joe Tanner (p. 198); from the 1970s they won prize after prize at the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial, then stopped entering to make room for younger artists. [1]
From the Library: Schiffer, Turquoise Jewelry (2008)
2008 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2008, not today.
Schiffer (2008, p. 41) illustrated a cast silver ring with oval nuggets and three inlays on one side by Lee and Mary Weebothee, Zuni, 1989. [3]
From the Library: Bedinger, Indian Silver (1973)
1973 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1973, not today.
Writing in 1973, Bedinger singled the couple out:
“Lee and Mary Weebothee of Zuni are famous for their cabochon-cut clus terwork.”
— Bedinger (1973), p. 194 [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. 109) named Lee and Mary Weebothee as the teachers of their daughter, the Zuni cluster and sandcast smith Darlene Charlie, born in 1958, who stamped D and DC with her husband, Dickie Charlie. [5]
Schaaf (2003, p. 110) also named them as the teachers of Dickie Charlie, their son-in-law. [5]
Schaaf (2003) recorded that he
“stamped LEE & MARY; LEE/MARY ZUNI”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 322 [5]
Schaaf (2003, p. 322) recorded Lee Weebothee as Zuni, born in 1929, active from 1941 in nugget, channel inlay and cluster jewelry, the son of Wilbur and Lula Weebothee, married to Mary Ann Weebothee in 1949, with five grand prizes and twelve first-place ribbons from shows including the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup, the New Mexico State Fair, the Casa Grande Arts and Craft Show and the Tanner Invitational in Scottsdale. [5]
Lee Weebothee told Schaaf (2003):
“My mother, Lula, gave us the land to build our home. So we began to make jewelry to support ourselves.”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 323 [5]
He recalled (Schaaf 2003):
“We used hand grinders and polished with sandpaper.”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 323 [5]
From the Library: Bassman and Bassman, Zuni Jewelry (2006)
2006 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2006, not today.
Bassman and Bassman (2006) pictured a ring he and his wife Mary made in 1991:
“Inlay and cluster made by Mary and Lee Weebothee.”
— Bassman and Bassman (2006), p. 15 [6]
Bassman and Bassman (2006) pictured all-coral cluster work by Mary and Lee Weebothee:
“Bola tie and tie bar with matching tips, tie tac, cuff links and belt buckle made by Mary and Lee Weebothee in the 1980s.”
— Bassman and Bassman (2006), p. 37 [6]
Bassman and Bassman (2006, p. 37) also pictured a cluster bola tie and belt buckle of coral and silver drops that the couple made in 1970. [6]
Bassman and Bassman (2006, p. 60) named Mary and Lee Weebothee among the makers of turquoise pendants of needlepoint, petit point, cluster and snake eyes made in 1991. [6]
Sources
- Bahti, Mark. Silver + Stone: Profiles of American Indian Jewelers. Tucson: Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2007. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2007.
- Schaaf, Gregory. American Indian Jewelry I: 1,200 Artist Biographies. Santa Fe: CIAC Press, 2003. Cited for the recorded hallmark.
- Schiffer, Nancy N. Turquoise Jewelry. Revised 4th ed. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2008. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2008.
- Bedinger, Margery. Indian Silver: Navajo and Pueblo Jewelers. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1973. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1973.
- 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.
- Bassman, Theda, and Michael Bassman. Zuni Jewelry. Revised and Expanded 3rd Edition. Photographs by Gene Balzer. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 2006 (first published 1992). Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2006.
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