Roland Brady — Navajo/Diné Silversmith
Navajo (Diné) silversmith. Profiled in Mark Bahti’s Silver + Stone (2007).
Roland Brady, a Navajo silversmith, was profiled in Mark Bahti's Silver + Stone (2007).
The Mark
No hallmark is recorded for this artist in our sources yet. If you have a signed piece, we would love to see the mark.
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.
Roland Brady, born in 1963 in Shiprock, told Bahti (2007) that he learned silversmithing from his mother:
“I used to sit next to her and watch, and she'd guide my hand with the torch to teach me soldering when I was maybe eight”
— Bahti (2007), p. 27 [1]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 27), his mother had learned the craft while attending Santa Fe Indian School. [1]
Bahti (2007, p. 28) reported that after years away from the bench he began making jewelry again and entered the Heard Museum show in 1999. [1]
According to Bahti (2007, p. 29), much of his work (by 2007 including rosaries) carried cross imagery of his own design, and he worked designs from ancient potsherds into bracelets with the designs hidden on the inside; most of it was plain silver with gold accents. [1]
On finishing, Roland Brady told Bahti (2007):
“I polish by hand and use emery cloth to give the silver that luxurious, melty look,”
— Bahti (2007), p. 29 [1]
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.
Know more about Roland? 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.