Willie Coin — Hopi Silversmith Hallmark
Willie Coin learned to make silver from his uncle, Earl Numkina, while the two were acting in a San Gabriel Mission play in California. Margaret Nickelson Wright's Hopi Silver, a register of Hopi smiths and their hallmarks, records him as a member of the Masau clan, born in Oraibi, who later moved to Bacavi and began silverwork in 1930 (Wright 2003, p. 76). She also lists him as Sitz wi isah. He died in 1992.
His hallmark
Wright labels his mark "Masau" and records it in use around 1948. The printed drawing shows two elongated head outlines side by side, each with two round eye holes and a round mouth, the right one with a long round-ended stick angling down to the lower right (Wright 2003, p. 76).
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. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1993.
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 a bracelet of his from the Museum of Northern Arizona collection:
“Bracelet with one turquoise stone made in 1949 by Willie Coin.”
— Bassman (1993), p. 3 [2]
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.