Ted Wadsworth — Hopi Silversmith Hallmark
Ted Wadsworth learned silversmithing at the Hopi Silvercraft Guild. Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver, a register of Hopi smiths and their hallmarks, records Ted Wadsworth as a member of the Bear clan from Shungopavi who began silverwork in 1954 and was still working when her list was compiled, and names Ted Wadsworth as a brother-in-law of Victor Coochwytewa (Wright 2003, p. 80).
Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists him as "Ted Wadsworth (Hopi)," active since the 1950s and working in overlay, "sometimes combined with set stones and shadowbox," and gives his mark as "A rabbit stick" (Hougart 2022, p. 329).
The hallmark
Wright prints two marks, labelled "Rabbit Stick" and "1968." The printed drawings show a gently arched stick divided into rounded segments with a small dark knob at the left end, and a more sharply bent, boomerang-like stick divided by many cross lines (Wright 2003, p. 80).
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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.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
- 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) pictured his work from the 1980s:
“Earrings with sun face design made in 1989 by Ted Wadsworth.”
— Bassman (1993), p. 12 [2]
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003) entered his son as
“Donald Dawahongnewa (Donald Wadsworth), (hallmark - corn plant pictograph)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 131 [4]
Schaaf (2003, p. 131) named Ted Wadsworth and the Hopi Silvercraft Cooperative Guild as the teachers of his son Donald Dawahongnewa, a silver overlay smith at Shungopavi active from about 1995 to 1997. [4]
Schaaf (2003) gave his mark as
“(hallmark - rabbit stick)”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 318 [4]
Schaaf (2003, p. 318) recorded Ted Wadsworth as Hopi, of Shungopavi on Second Mesa, active from about 1954 in silver overlay jewelry, taught at the Hopi Silvercraft Cooperative Guild, and the father of Charles, Donald, Eddison, Ronald and Terry Wadsworth. [4]
Schaaf (2003, p. 318) named Willie Archie and Victor Coochwytewa as his brothers-in-law and recorded him as an uncle of Ricky Coochwytewa. [4]
Schaaf (2003, p. 318) listed his sons Charles, Eddison and Ronald Wadsworth as his students. [4]
Schaaf (2003, p. 318) recorded a third prize for pins at Indian Market in Santa Fe in 1990 among his awards. [4]
In Schaaf (2003, p. 318), TW with a frog is the hallmark of his son Terry Wadsworth, while Ted's own mark is the rabbit stick, although Schaaf's hallmark index also lists Ted under TW. [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.