A full-color tribute to distinctive Hopi jewelry and the artists who create it--past and present. View the intricate and splendid nature of this art form and craft. Detailed descriptions accompany photos.

Delve into the fascinating origins and contemporary interpretations of Sun Face and Thunderbird/Hopi Bird designs. This thorough study was undertaken to establish the identities of 33 Zuni artists and their interpretations of these traditional designs from the 1940s through the 1960s. Their mosaic stone and shell inlay pins, bracelets, bolo ties, and other ornaments appear in over 190 color photos that display subtle variations indicative of each master's work and distinctive style. Also introduced are important but forgotten artists, such as Harry Deutsawe and Raphael Homer. It also features two intriguing variations of Sun Face designs, such as Sun Face with Horns and Sun Father and His Twin Sons. Detailed analysis explains the changes and connections among early and recent makers and their individual styles, materials, and designs.

An elegant array of museum quality pieces are showcased illustrating the marvelous creativity and artistry of Navajo jewelers. The book features the fine photography of noted photographer Gene Balzer. Detailed descriptions accompany each piece photographed.

A dazzling exploration of both traditional and contemporary jewelry. Spectacular photographs of the beautiful jewelry and sensitive portraits of the artists combine with an insightful, informative text to capture the spirit of this work and of the cultures from which it springs. Includes a collector's guide and a directory of sources. 210 illustrations, 155 in full color.

More than 125 vivid color photos display groups of Indian-made wrought silver, turquoise, shell, and coral jewelry brought together from the American Southwest. The authors explore the diversity of this handcrafted jewelry from historic collections as well as those available today on reservations. Includes products of Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and Rio Grande Pueblo artisans.

Charles Loloma (Hopi, 1921-1991) was arguably the most influential Native American artist of the twentieth century. An artist of astonishing creative energy, he found fame as a jeweler, ceramist, painter, and poet. This book includes substantial information about Loloma never before published, as well as illustrations of the most comprehensive grouping of his work ever assembled, comprising jewelry, ceramics, and other items made between 1939 and 1989.

"With the inborn wisdom that has guided them for so long through so many obstacles, Hopi men and women perpetuate their proven rituals, strongly encouraging those who attempt to neglect or disrespect their obligations to uphold them. One of these obligations is to respect the flora and fauna of our planet. The Hopi closeness to the Earth is represented in all the arts of all three mesas, whether in clay or natural fibers. What clay is to a potter's hands, natural fibers are to a basket weaver." —from the Introduction Rising dramatically from the desert floor, Arizona's windswept mesas have been home to the Hopis for hundreds of years. A people known for protecting their privacy, these Native Americans also have a long and less known tradition of weaving baskets and plaques. Generations of Hopi weavers have passed down knowledge of techniques and materials from the plant world around them, from mother to daughter, granddaughter, or niece. This book is filled with photographs and detailed descriptions of their beautiful baskets—the one art, above all others, that creates the strongest social bonds in Hopi life. In these pages, weavers open their lives to the outside world as a means of sharing an art form especially demanding of time and talent. The reader learns how plant materials are gathered in canyons and creek bottoms, close to home and far away. The long, painstaking process of preparation and dying is followed step by step. Then, using techniques of coiled, plaited, or wicker basketry, the weaving begins. Underlying the stories of baskets and their weavers is a rare glimpse of what is called "the Hopi Way," a life philosophy that has strengthened and sustained the Hopi people through centuries of change. Many other glimpses of the Hopi world are also shared by author and photographer Helga Teiwes, who was warmly invited into the homes of her collaborators. Their permission and the permission of the Cultural Preservation Office of the Hopi Tribe gave her access to people and information seldom available to outsiders. Teiwes was also granted access to some of the ceremonial observances where baskets are preeminent. Woven in brilliant reds, greens, and yellows as well as black and white, Hopi weavings, then, not only are an arresting art form but also are highly symbolic of what is most important in Hopi life. In the women's basket dance, for example, woven plaques commemorate and honor the Earth and the perpetuation of life. Other plaques play a role in the complicated web of Hopi social obligation and reciprocity. Living in a landscape of almost surreal form and color, Hopi weavers are carrying on one of the oldest arts traditions in the world. Their stories in Hopi Basket Weaving will appeal to collectors, artists and craftspeople, and anyone with an interest in Native American studies, especially Native American arts. For the traveler or general reader, the book is an invitation to enter a little-known world and to learn more about an art form steeped in meaning and stunning in its beauty.