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Maria Martinez and the Martinez Potters
Few craft artists, Native American or otherwise, can claim worldwide fame and appreciation, but these accompanied the life of potter Maria Martinez of San Ildefonso Pueblo. Through her hard work and generous sharing of her techniques, Maria reintroduced the art of pottery making to her people, providing them with a means of artistic expression and for retaining some aspects of the pueblo way of life.
San Ildefonso Pueblo [...] Click here to continue reading.
The Hubbell Trading Post at Ganado, Arizona
It is largely accepted that Juan Lorenzo Hubbell was among the most successful and influential traders with the Navajo. Born to an American father and Mexican mother, Hubbell purchased his first trading post in 1876, and in 1878, he purchased a post at Ganado, Arizona. Although he (and his sons) would go on to own twenty-four trading posts and a warehouse to serve them all, it was [...] Click here to continue reading.
Leigh E. and Christine Robinson Collection
Leigh Robinson (1882 to 1960) was born in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the son of a contractor, and graduated in 1904 from the Iowa State Teacher’s College with a Master’s of Didactics. Teaching first in Iowa, and later in Montana and Washington State, he joined the U.S. Customs Service, serving first in Seattle and then from 1907 to 1917 in Blaine, Washington.
As a child, Robinson became intrigued by [...] Click here to continue reading.
Collection of Kent and Karen Vickery, Colorado
Dr. Kent Vickery (1942 to 2011) grew up with parents who were avid collectors of Native American Southwest arts and crafts. Kent started developing his own collection in the 1950s while on family vacations. Summer excursions to various Pueblos and to the Gallup Ceremonials sparked a true love in Kent and spurred him to earn his PhD from Indiana University in Anthropology/ Archaeology where he specialized in [...] Click here to continue reading.
Shona-Hah or Mary J. Smith (Native American, 1912 to 1997)
Shona-Hah or Mary J. Smith was Cherokee by birth and became the matriarch of the Lelooska family. Her artwork, and especially her “Little People,” has left a legacy of both the everyday activities and the ceremonial dress of Native Americans. In June 1983 Southwest Art featured her in an article on pages 65-71.
Information courtesy of Cowan’s Auctions Inc., September 2006.
Celt
Small celts were used as skinning tools. Larger examples could have been used as small chopping devices, like a small ax. Sizes can vary greatly, and they can be made out of slate or granite. They would correctly be classified as tools, as would a stone ax or hammer.
Reference note by p4A editorial staff, November 2011.
Quanah Parker (1845? to 1911)
Quanah Parker (circa 1845 to 1911) was the son of Peta Nocona, a Comanche chief, and Cynthia Ann Parker, the daughter of a settler who was captured in 1836 when she was nine years old. She grew up happily in the Comanche culture until she was abducted back into white civilization where she lived unhappily and finally died. Quanah fought against the westward pressures caused by the settlers but [...] Click here to continue reading.
Plummets
The artifact that we call a plummet, named for the resemblance of its tear-drop shape to the carpenter’s plumb-bob, first appeared in the Late Archaic period, about 1000 B.C. They are found all over the U.S., and the world as well, made from various materials available in the local area either naturally or by trade, including hematite, hardstone, copper, antler and marine shell. They may be well crafted, ornamented and polished or crude [...] Click here to continue reading.
Collection of Ervin F. Cheney (1844 to 1922)
It is often said that men like Ervin F. Cheney invented the old west, but it seems just as likely that the old west invented him. In fact, his life reads like a script for a Hollywood movie, beginning in the carnage of the Civil War and running through all the phases of life for a pioneer in territorial Wyoming, from Indian wars through gold fever, [...] Click here to continue reading.
Hematite Artifacts
Hematite is the mineral form of iron oxide comprising up to 70 percent iron. It is colored black to gray, brown or red, usually with a rust-red streak. The mineral takes its name from the Greek, “haimatites”, which we translate as bloodlike, thus the name alludes to the vivid red color of the iron powder.
Hematite is harder than pure iron, but much more brittle. Large deposits of hematite are found in [...] Click here to continue reading.
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