Ralph Tawangyaouma — Hopi Silversmith Hallmark
Ralph Tawangyaouma did his silversmithing in shops in Phoenix and Tucson until about 1964, when he moved back to Hotevilla. Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver, a register of Hopi smiths and their hallmarks, records him as a member of the Corn clan who began silverwork around 1906 and moved from Oraibi to Hotevilla at the Split (Wright 2003, p. 75). She also lists him as Tawagioma. He died in 1973.
His hallmark
Wright labels his mark "Thundercloud & H (Hopi)" and dates its first use to around 1930. The printed drawing shows two joined half-dome arches over a fringed base band, an arrow curling out from each side, with a capital letter H at the right (Wright 2003, p. 75).
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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.
- Bassman, Theda. The Beauty of Hopi Jewelry. Photography by Gene Balzer. Walnut, California: Kiva Publishing, 1993. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1993.
- Adair, John. The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths. The Civilization of the American Indian Series. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1944. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1944.
- 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: Bassman, The Beauty of Hopi Jewelry (1993)
1993 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1993, not today.
Bassman (1993) pictured a bracelet of his from the Museum of Northern Arizona collection:
“Bracelet with five turquoise stones made in the 1930's by Ralph Tawangyaouma.”
— Bassman (1993), p. 3 [2]
From the Library: Adair, The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths (1944)
1944 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1944, not today.
Adair's 1944 list of Hopi silversmiths working outside the reservation in 1938 included him, spelled Tawagioma:
“Ralph Tawagioma, of Hotevilla, works in Phoenix”
— Adair (1944), p. 195 [3]
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf's 2003 hallmark index describes his mark:
“H with a cloud (Ralph Tawangyaouma)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 168 [4]
Schaaf (2003, p. 204) named Ralph Tawangyaouma as the maternal first cousin of the Hopi smith Pierce Kewanwytewa, who married into Zia Pueblo in 1934. [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.