Marcus Coochwykvia — Hopi Silversmith Hallmark

Marcus Coochwykvia learned silversmithing at Hopicrafts. Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver, a register of Hopi smiths and their hallmarks, records Marcus Coochwykvia as a member of the Bear clan from Mishongnovi who began silverwork in 1972 and was still working when her list was compiled, and names Marcus Coochwykvia as a brother-in-law of Glenn Lucas (Wright 2003, p. 85).

The hallmark

Wright prints two marks: one labelled "Bear Paw 1975," and the capital letters ML without a label. The printed drawings show an oval paw pad with a spiral curl inside and five small claws across its top, and a capital M with an L set under its right side (Wright 2003, p. 85).

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References

  1. Wright, Margaret Nickelson. Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing. Revised edition. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2003.
  2. Bassman, Theda. The Beauty of Hopi Jewelry. Photography by Gene Balzer. Walnut, California: Kiva Publishing, 1993. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1993.

From the Library: Bassman, The Beauty of Hopi Jewelry (1993)

1993 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1993, not today.

Bassman (1993, p. 37) pictured a butterfly link bracelet made in 1977 by Marcus Coochwykvia. [2]

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.