Melanie Kirk-Lente
Name-card placeholder — hallmark imagery to follow.
Overview
Melanie Kirk-Lente (b. 1971) is an Isleta silversmith working in a modern register — inlay in silver and gold. She is the daughter of Andy Lee Kirk and the wife of Michael Lente (not yet in the directory).
Collector's caution: Hougart's entry for Melanie carries no mark line of her own. The shared "Kirk Lente (script)" mark is documented in her husband Michael Lente's entry, not hers. A piece signed Kirk Lente sits under that shared signature — read it as the couple's mark rather than proof of one specific hand.
The Mark
"Melanie Kirk-Lente (1971-; Isleta). Modern; inlay; silver, gold. Daughter of Andy Kirk. Wife of Michael Lente."
— Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022).
The marks as documented in the Hougart corpus: No individual mark documented (husband Michael Lente's entry lists "Kirk Lente (script)").
References
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. Schiffer Publishing, 2022.
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