Marylita Boone — Zuni Silversmith

Marylita Boone works in mosaic inlay with her husband, Alex Boone. Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists her as "Marylita Boone (Zuni)" and records that she shares her stamp with him (Hougart 2022, p. 67).

William and Sarah Turnbaugh's Indian Jewelry of the American Southwest shows a Zuni collar with mosaic inlay, "ca. 1985," that the couple, "of Zuni, New Mexico," made with matching earrings in silver, turquoise, red coral, black jet and yellow freshwater clamshell (Turnbaugh 2007, p. 56). Theda and Michael Bassman's Zuni Jewelry shows an inlay watchband of turquoise, coral, jet, mother-of-pearl and gold-lip mother-of-pearl made in 1988 by Marylita and Alex Boone (Bassman and Bassman 2006, p. 39).

Her hallmark

Hougart gives the couple's shared marks as A & M BOONE and Alex + Marylita Boone Zuni N. Mex. (script) (Hougart 2022, p. 67). A. BOONE and a bare BOONE, on the same page, belong to Kewa makers, not to the couple (Hougart 2022, p. 67).

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References

  1. Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
  2. Turnbaugh, William A., and Sarah Peabody Turnbaugh. Indian Jewelry of the American Southwest. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2007 (first published 1988).
  3. Bassman, Theda, and Michael Bassman. Zuni Jewelry. Photographs by Gene Balzer. Revised and expanded 3rd edition. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2006.

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.