Richard Pawicki — Hopi Silversmith
Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver, a register of Hopi smiths and their hallmarks, singled out his flute player: "A totally new look in overlay is Richard Pawicki's version of the flute player. His use of fine line work and angular shapes becomes bits of movement across a bracelet or bola tie" (Wright 2003, p. 68).
Wright records that he learned at the Guild and began silverwork at Hotevilla in 1987 (Wright 2003, p. 98). Theda Bassman's The Beauty of Hopi Jewelry shows two of his rings from 1992, one with corn and one with a flute player, under the spelling Pawiki (Bassman 1993, p. 30). Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists him as Hopi, active since the 1980s (Hougart 2022, p. 241).
His hallmark
Wright indexes his mark as a spider (Wright 2003, p. 124). Hougart lists the initials "RP (conjoined)" among his marks, with a second RP mark that includes a spider (Hougart 2022, p. 241).
Own a piece with this mark, or know more about this artist? Contact T.Skies.
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.
- 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.