Raynard (Ray) Scott — Navajo/Diné Silversmith
Navajo (Diné) silversmith. Profiled in Mark Bahti’s Silver + Stone (2007).
Raynard (Ray) Scott, a Navajo silversmith and the son of silversmiths Louise and Raymond Scott, was profiled in Mark Bahti's Silver + Stone (2007).
The Mark
Recorded mark: Taa'tsohi (Morning Glory), in use since 1984 in honor of his paternal grandfather, Hastiin Taa'tsohi; Hougart also records R. J. Scott in engraved script (Bahti (2007, p. 157); Hougart (2022)).
From the Library: Bahti, Silver + Stone: Profiles of American Indian Jewelers (2007)
A 2007 profile, reviewed and corrected by the artists themselves before publication. Anything described as current describes 2006-2007, not today.
According to Bahti (2007, p. 155), Raynard (Ray) Scott was born in 1965 in Los Angeles to Louise Nelson and Raymond Scott and learned silver in his parents' overlay and chip-inlay shop, starting at age seven. [1]
Bahti (2007, p. 156) reported that his own designs developed in the late 1980s, that he won a blue ribbon at the Eight Northern Pueblos show in 1987, and that he worked in triple overlay, textured backgrounds and fused silver dust. [1]
On teaching his apprentices, Kee Yazzie and Chris Billy, from 1993, Raynard Scott told Bahti (2007):
“Everyone shares the same techniques; it is how you apply them that makes the difference.”
— Bahti (2007), p. 156 [1]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 157), he began working gold about 1994, preferring higher-karat gold, and his hallmark since 1984 has been Taa'tsohi, or Morning Glory, honoring his paternal grandfather, Hastiin Taa'tsohi. [1]
Family in the directory: Raymond Scott
Sources
- Bahti, Mark. Silver + Stone: Profiles of American Indian Jewelers. Tucson: Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2007. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2007.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2022. Cited for the recorded hallmark.
Know more about Raynard? Contact T.Skies.
This profile is maintained in support of Native American silversmiths and is compiled from published sources, cited above. See something inaccurate, or want to add to it? Contact us.