Ricky Coochwytewa — Hopi Silversmith Hallmark
Ricky Coochwytewa learned silversmithing from his father, Victor Coochwytewa. Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver, a register of Hopi smiths and their hallmarks, records him as a member of the Bear clan from Shungopavi who began silverwork in 1970, and names his maternal uncle as Ted Wadsworth (Wright 2003, p. 84).
His hallmark
Wright labels his mark "Bear paw." The printed drawing shows a rounded pad with five short claw strokes fanning from its top (Wright 2003, p. 84).
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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.
- Baxter, Paula A., with Allison Bird-Romero. Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry: A Guide to History, People, and Terms. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 2000. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2000.
- 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, p. 49) pictured village-scene earrings made by Ricky Coochwytewa, dated 1991, alongside pieces by Victor Coochwytewa. [2]
From the Library: Baxter, Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry (2000)
2000 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2000, not today.
According to Baxter (2000, p. 36), Ricky had worked with his father since 1970, starting in silver and, as of 2000, working mainly in gold; the two had also branched out into diamonds and platinum. [3]
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 119) recorded Ricky Coochwytewa as born about 1951 and living at Shungopavi as of 2003, active from about 1970 in silver overlay with a bear paw hallmark, taught by his father, with Hopi village scenes and the man-in-the-maze among his designs. [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.