Sterling Silver and Turquoise Collar Necklace [R]

Michael Kabotie was the son of famed Hopi artist, Fred Kabotie.  Michael passed away at the early age of 67 years at the height of his fame.  He had attended Haskell Indian School in Lawrence, Kansas in 1961.  In the 1970s and 1980s, he was the spokesman for the Artist Hopid, a group of Hopi artists who worked together. 

Michael learned the techniques of silversmithing by hanging around the Hopi Guild workshop founded by his dad.  He is known as a painter and jeweler and excelled at both.

This collar necklace is typical of Hopi overlay style of jewelry-making associated with Hopi jewelers.  One layer of silver is cut to form the desired designs and then overlaid on a solid silver backing that is sometimes scored and darkened. 

Condition: original condition with very minor scratches

Provenance: from the collection of a Santa Fe resident.

Recommended Reading:  American Indian Jewelry II: A - L; 1,800 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf