Diné (Navajo) Sterling Silver Demitasse Spoon UITA3 Designation [SOLD]

This demitasse spoon is typical of items made by Navajo smiths for consumption by non-Indian collectors. It was actually made from coin silver. The ridged edges of a coin are partially visible at the edges of the spoon bowl.

The spoon handle is stamped with the hallmark ,which stands for United Indian Traders Association, and the #3 identifies the specific Trading Post of a UITA member, in this instance Toadlena Trading Post.

The United Indian Traders Association was formed in 1946 by the traders. They licensed the use of a stamp to their members bearing the letters UITA and an arrow point, with a number to identify the member. The Association eventually stopped using the stamp so that today the license mark is rarely seen.

Provenance: Retrieved from pawn in January 2010.

Condition: original condition