Norman Honie, Sr. — Hopi Silversmith Hallmark
Norman Honie learned silversmithing at the Hopi Silvercraft Guild. Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver, a register of Hopi smiths and their hallmarks, records Norman Honie as a member of the Spider clan, born at Hano, who later moved to Shungopavi, began silverwork in 1966 and was still working when her list was compiled (Wright 2003, p. 83).
Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists him as "Norman Honie, Sr. (1923-2007; Hopi)," working in overlay, with "Figurals. Animal and insect motifs. Geometric and set stone designs," and gives his mark as "A spider (may be with a Hopi Guild mark or a Hopicrafts mark)" (Hougart 2022, p. 143). The two books date his start differently: Wright records 1966, and Hougart has him active from the 1940s to 2004. Hougart lists a younger smith, Norman Honie, Jr., separately; his mark is a tadpole (Hougart 2022, p. 143).
The hallmark
Wright labels the mark "Spider." The printed drawing shows an irregular rounded body with several wavy, curling legs projecting from its sides (Wright 2003, p. 83).
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References
- Wright, Margaret Nickelson. Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing. Revised edition. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2003.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
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.