Vintage Stamped Copper Pie Server from The Garden of the Gods Trading Post [SOLD]

This hand-stamped copper pie server is a unique item among Southwest collectibles. The vintage custom, handmade pie or cake server is stamped with classic crescent shapes around the edge and has an elegant curved handle. It was made in the studio of The Garden of the Gods Trading Post in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

The Garden of the Gods Trading Post was owned by Charles and Esther Strauseback and catered to tourists visiting the nearby Garden of the Gods. The studio specialized in jewelry and decorative items made of silver, copper, aluminum and nickel silver.  Diné (Navajo) and Pueblo artisans were hired to work there, including San Ildefonso artist Awa Tsireh, who worked at the studio during the 1930s and 1940s. Items made at the studio were stamped with the Tewa Thunderbird and the words “Hand made by Indians.”  The hallmark on this piece has the thunderbird and the inscription. Many artists who worked at the studio also signed their names but this piece is unsigned by an individual, so we are unable to attribute a specific tribe to the creator of this pie server.  

Condition: excellent

Provenance: this Vintage Stamped Copper Pie Server from The Garden of the Gods Trading Post is from a Santa Fe collection.

Recommended Reading: The Native American Curio Trade in New Mexico by Jonathan Batkin