Sanford Edaakie — Zuni Silversmith
Sanford Edaakie is a Zuni inlay jeweler of birds and animals, the son of Dennis and Nancy Edaakie. Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists him as Zuni, born 1963, working in inlay with bird motifs (Hougart 2022, p. 112). Mark Bahti's Silver + Stone records that he began working silver at twenty, and that "All three sons, Dale (formerly known as Myron), Derrick, and Sanford, work silver in the general style of their parents" (Bahti 2007, pp. 46–47).
Bahti describes his work as "largely earrings and pin-pendants, though occasionally larger pieces" that focus on "animals, birds, and the occasional frog" (Bahti 2007, p. 47). Peter N. Schiffer's Indian Jewelry on the Market shows a silver Zuni linked belt of his inlaid with different birds, "no two are the same" (Schiffer 1996, p. 124). Gregory Schaaf's American Indian Jewelry I lists him as Zuni, working in mosaic inlay, and names his brothers as Myron and Derrick (Schaaf 2003, p. 146): the Dale and Derrick Edaakie of Bahti's account.
His hallmark
Hougart gives his mark as S C EDAAKIE (Hougart 2022, p. 112), and Schiffer records a belt marked S.C. Edaakie (Schiffer 1996, p. 124).
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References
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
- Bahti, Mark. Silver + Stone: Profiles of American Indian Jewelers. Tucson: Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2007.
- Schiffer, Peter N. Indian Jewelry on the Market. Text and photography by Peter N. Schiffer. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 1996.
- 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.
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.