Mary Calabaza — Kewa (Santo Domingo Pueblo) Silversmith
Kewa (Santo Domingo Pueblo) silversmith. Profiled in Mark Bahti’s Silver + Stone (2007).
Mary Calabaza, a Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo heishi maker, was profiled with her husband, Joseph Calabaza, in Mark Bahti's Silver + Stone (2007).
The Mark
No hallmark is recorded for this artist in our sources yet. If you have a signed piece, we would love to see the mark.
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.
According to Bahti (2007, p. 30), Mary Calabaza (born 1949) was a daughter of Victor and Ramona Tenorio, whose nine children all helped them make jocla necklaces. [1]
Bahti (2007, p. 30) reported that she learned the basics from her parents but credited Joseph's father with teaching her the more advanced techniques. [1]
As her husband, Joseph, told Bahti (2007):
“She encouraged me to do finer work. So we both started on the finer together.”
— Bahti (2007), p. 30 [1]
Family in the directory: Joseph Calabaza
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003) gives her name as Mary Ann Calabaza; the entry reads
“Mary Ann Calabaza (collaborates with Joseph Francis Calabaza)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 102 [2]
Schaaf (2003, p. 102) recorded Mary Ann Calabaza as active from before 1977 in turquoise and rolled heishi necklaces, joclas and beadwork, with Indian Market prizes from 1977 to 2000, a Best of Division at the 2002 Heard Museum Show, and work in the 2002 Jewels of the Southwest exhibition in Santa Fe. [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.
Know more about Mary? Contact T.Skies.
This profile is maintained in support of Native American silversmiths and is compiled from published sources, cited above. See something inaccurate, or want to add to it? Contact us.