Mark Roanhorse (Crawford)
Overview
Mark Roanhorse (Crawford) (born 1985) is a Navajo silversmith documented for tufa cast work with set stones, in silver and gold. He is a son of Eugene Crawford and brother of Michael Roanhorse, who smiths in his own right.
His mark is the initials M R inside a loop — usually part of the cast itself rather than a separate stamp — and may appear with a horse-and-rider figure.
The Mark
"Mark Roanhorse (Crawford) (1985-; Navajo). Tufa cast work; set stones; silver, gold. Son of Eugene Crawford. Brother [of Michael Roanhorse]. Mark: M R (inside a loop; usually part of the cast; may have a horse with rider)"
— Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022).
The marks as documented in Hougart's hallmark reference: M R (inside a loop; usually part of the cast; may have a horse with rider).
References
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
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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. 36), Mark cast his first piece, a turquoise-set bowguard (ketoh), at age nine from scrap silver he had saved in a coffee can, and it was his father who showed him how to carve volcanic tuff for sand-cast work. [1]
As Mark Roanhorse Crawford told Bahti (2007):
“From there they discovered I was the best caster—so I'd cast their orders, and then they would do all the stonesetting and finishing.”
— Bahti (2007), p. 36 [1]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 36), as a high-school senior he cast a sculpture in pieces, soldered it together and inlaid the base with turquoise, coral, lapis and gold; at the 2004 Heard Museum Show, student division, it won best in classification, best in division and best of show, and he earned twelve ribbons that year. [1]
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 125), who entered him as Mark Roanhorse Crawford, named his parents and Ric Charlie as his teachers, recorded him as an honor student at Crystal High School, and listed a Best of Show at the 2002 Traditions! Show at Santo Domingo. [2]
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, 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.