Peter Gasper — Zuni Silversmith
Peter Gasper makes fetish necklaces with his wife, Dinah Gasper, a fetish carver. Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists him as "Peter Gasper (1938-; Zuni)," active since the 1970s, records that he "Taught silver smithing at ZCCA," and calls him a "Multiple award winner." Hougart lists Dinah Gasper as a fetish carver, active since the 1970s, who co-stamps with him (Hougart 2022, p. 126).
Theda and Michael Bassman's Zuni Jewelry shows the couple's work at length: a two-strand pink coral fetish necklace of sixty squirrels, frogs, turtles, birds, owls, bears and foxes on pink coral shell heishi, 1991, and a three-strand fossilized ivory fetish necklace of Dinah's own, 1986 (Bassman and Bassman 2006, p. 21). A three-strand Mediterranean coral fetish necklace with 14-karat gold fittings, made by Dinah and Peter Gasper with Andy Lee Kirk in 1991, took Best of Category for all Stone or Shell and was a First Prize winner (Bassman and Bassman 2006, p. 22). Joe Dan and Joe P. Lowry's Turquoise shows a frog fetish by the couple (Lowry 2010, p. 175).
Hougart records that the Gaspers also carved and set stones for other smiths, among them Calvin Martinez and Gary Reeves (Hougart 2022, pp. 126, 207, 266).
His hallmark
Hougart gives the mark he shares with Dinah as Peter Dinah, the two names stacked, with a large G (Hougart 2022, p. 126). Neither has a separate mark in the book, so the stamp cannot tell you which of the two made a piece.
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References
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
- Bassman, Theda, and Michael Bassman. Zuni Jewelry. Photographs by Gene Balzer. Revised and expanded 3rd edition. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2006.
- Lowry, Joe Dan, and Joe P. Lowry. Turquoise: The World Story of a Fascinating Gemstone. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2010.
- 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.
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 160) recorded Peter Gasper (also Pete Gaspar) as Zuni, born in 1938, educated at the Santa Fe Indian School in 1958, sometimes stamping Peter & Dinah G. with his wife, and listed Indian Market prizes for fetish necklaces in 1984, 1986 and 1988 and Best of Fetishes at the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial in Gallup in 2001. [4]
Schaaf (2003, p. 161) listed his work in the collection of the Museum of New Mexico in Santa Fe. [4]
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.