Early jewelry sold by The Fred Harvey Company (using Navajo silversmiths) generally was made from thin silver and filled with stamped symbols relating to Indians or the Great Southwest.  This bracelet is no exception.  Stamped images include Whirling Logs, Maltese Crosses, stylized birds, collar tabs, crossed arrows, and other unidentified symbols.  The entire surface is filled with stamped imagery.

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"Hé-é-e or Hé'wuhti may be seen in Powamu celebrations most years, but it is at the Pachavu ceremonies that Hé-é-e is seen in her most impressive appearance.  This kachina is the Warrior Maid, based on the story of a young girl:

Many years ago, tradition says that some Hopis were living outside of the main village, and the mother of this household was putting up her daughter's hair.  The mother had finished only one side of the hair whorls, the hair on the other side still hanging loosely, when they saw enemies sneaking toward the village.  The daughter snatched up a bow, quiver and arrows from the wall and raced toward the village to warn the people. She then led the defense until the men in the fields could return and rout the enemy.

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Chakwaina appears most often in January during the Kiva Dances, dancing in a line with lively gestures, stooping and turning and singing a spirited tune. It has been said that Chakwaina represents Estevan the Moor, who led Fray Marcos de Niza in search of Cibola and was killed at Zuni. Barton Wright, the noted Katsina expert, said this is not likely because Chakwaina originally came from the Rio Grande pueblos, migrated to Zuni, then to Hopi from Zuni.

Read more about this Hopi katsina here..

We are all aware that many published reports state that it is very difficult to distinguish pottery from Laguna and Acoma Pueblos and that is quite true.  This historic wedding vase is the exception because it is clearly stated on the bottom of the vase that it is of Laguna origin.  The potter wanted to be sure that the buyer was aware that it was a Laguna item.  The rectangular orange boxes and the twisted handle would have been clues to a Laguna origin as well.

Read more about this Laguna Pueblo Pottery here..

At first glance, the paint on this historic jar appears to be the type known to have been applied after firing, something that occurred at San Ildefonso and Tesuque Pueblos around 1900.  Paint applied after firing can easily be removed with Acetone, however, the blue and red paint on this jar do not come off with the application of Acetone.  The source of these colors is unknown.

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Western Apache basket makers did not succumb to making non-functional basket shapes such as flat plaques, wastebaskets, straight-sided and footed vases and gadgets such as match holders, purses, and figures of animals, plants and humans, as did some of the other tribes.  They continued making baskets of the style with which they were familiar which was the style they made for their own use.

This bowl or tray is typical of those made for use but does not appear to have been used.  It has a three-rod foundation and the design starts with a dark circle at the bottom center and spreads out in a flower petal pattern.  There are other elements pendant from the rim but the floral design is the predominant one.  It is quite likely that this basket dates to the 1920s.

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The origin of this jar is interesting.  The shape of the vessel, the texture of the base and the design elements do not all seem to fit any single source of origin.  One could assume it to be from Santo Domingo Pueblo except the color of the un-slipped clay below the design is much more like that from San Ildefonso Pueblo as is the slope of that area. The cream slip appears to be rag wiped, not stone polished.  The cream slip extends an inch inside the inner rim and, below that, is a one-inch red slip further inside the rim.

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Bill Gallen currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he enjoys painting landscapes, particularly location pieces. Gallen's paintings are included in private, corporate and museum collections nationwide.

Gallen stated "Painting for me is a world where, time after time, the ripeness and richness of life is revealed in the simplest of expressions. A path through barren autumn scrub is material enough for a painting. Translating the thrill of seeing-and responding in paint language-is the way and means of our craft. No grand vista is needed to discover a sacred world; one lies before us already."

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Fremont Ellis was a Santa Fe painter, printmaker, teacher and founder of the Santa Fe group known as Los Cincos Pintores (The Five Painters).  Ellis was the most conservative of the group.  Ellis, before Santa Fe, was a native of Montana who was headed for a career as an optometrist.  He left Montana and moved to El Paso, Texas.  A trip to Santa Fe in 1919 for a summer of painting ended up becoming his life home.

This painting of Santa Isabella Creek was completed in 1972.  The only Santa Isabella Creek of which I am aware is a small stream of water located in Texas which runs through Laredo, Texas. The creek is formed 32 miles from Callaghan, Texas and runs southwest for 33 mi (53 km) until it connects to the Rio Grande.  Perhaps Ellis made a trip to Texas and painted this at that time.

Read more about this Fremont Ellis painting here..

In 1972, F. H. Tutt, an art dealer from San Clemente, California, organized the printing of limited-numbered sets of five of Quincy Tahoma's paintings that he had commissioned in 1952.  He packaged them in a hardback folio and included a page explaining the portfolio.

In 1973, Tuff described the edition as follows:

               ...a Delux Portfolio of reproductions of the five paintings and a cover story in a beautiful silver and turquoise hard cover jacket...

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Chaveyo and Hahai-i-Wuhti are the parents of the dreaded ogres known as Nataskas. Chaveyo, himself, is dreaded as his function is to show any Hopi who fails to perform his share of work or who acts in an unacceptable manner the error of his ways. He appears in dances at all the Hopi villages. Wright, 1973

It is believed that Chaveyo was originally from the Northern New Mexico Pueblos but has been a Hopi Katsina for as long as can be remembered.  As do all Hopi Katsinas, he lives in the San Francisco Mountains and visits Hopi villages during the Katsina season of February to August.  He can be seen at Palölökongti (Water Serpent Dance) where he is badgered by the Hopi clowns but they eventually get whacked for pestering him.

Read more about this Katsina doll here..

The Hemis Katsina is one of the more spectacular looking of all katsinas, particularly when one sees a line of 20 or 30 of them dancing in front of the same number of Hemismanas kneeling and creating rhythm with rasping sticks.  It is a favorite Katsina for the Niman ceremony (Home Dance) at most Hopi villages.

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According to Barton Wright, "A'hote may appear in any of the directional colors but the two most common colors are the yellow A'hote (Sikyahote) or the blue A'hote (Sakwahote). In a Plaza Dance it is not unusual to see a line of Sakwahote with several Sikyahote, and a white or red form as well." A'hote may appear in Mixed Katsina Dances or the Palölökong Dances as well as Plaza Dances.

This Katsina doll dates to circa 1940s.  The mask has protruding eyes and snout and has multi-color chevron designs.  Protruding red ears have feathers pointing forward and a grass headband is wrapped around the top of the mask.  A fur ruff surrounds the neck.  The Kachina doll has a painted concha belt and a carved fox tail suspended from the back of the skirt.  The doll is equipped with a string around its neck to facilitate displaying by hanging although it stands unaided as well.

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   Helen Naha (Feather Woman) and Joy Navasie (Frog Woman) were sisters-in-law.  Helen Naha married Joy Navasie's brother, Archie Naha. Helen was known for her stark black-on-white Hopi pottery early in her career and for exquisite polychrome pots in later times. Her hallmark is a feather.

This wonderful wide and low bowl is slipped in traditional white clay, over which is painted the decoration in strong black natural pigment.  The design is a mixture of shapes

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Joy Navasie (1919 - 2012) second Frog Woman - Yellow Flower is the first potter to inherit the Frog Woman name.  Her mother, Paqua Naha, was the first Frog Woman and, when she passed away in 1955, the Frog Woman name passed on to Joy.  Her mother was also her mentor and Joy began making pottery around 1935 and apparently began using a frog hallmark on her pottery around 1939 although it was different from that of her mom's.  Joy put web feet on her frogs and Paqua used short lines for toes.  Joy said that her mom was the first to produce white pottery at Hopi and had started doing so around 1951 or 1952. 

This small jar was made in the vessel shape of prehistoric pottery with a small base expanding upward and outward to a mid-body.

Read more about this Hopi Pottery here..

Joy Navasie (1919 - 2012) second Frog Woman - Yellow Flower is among the most famous of Hopi-Tewa potters. She learned the skill from her famous mother, Paqua Naha, the first Frog Woman. Paqua developed white-ware pottery in the mid-1950s and Joy continued the tradition until she ceased potting around 2000 due to health reasons.  She passed away in 2012.

This almost miniature pottery jar was as well made and designed and painted as Joy's major pottery creations.  She devoted as much effort on this one as she would on a major jar.  The shape is exquisite and the painted design beautifully applied.  The jar dates to the late 1970s and is signed with Joy's frog logo - hallmark.

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Native Americans of all tribes have featured birds of various forms in their art and lives so it is not unlikely that The Fred Harvey Company would adopt a bird as its logo.  The Harvey Company bird was named a Thunderbird and its symbol was copyrighted in 1909.  It was used in jewelry by Harvey silversmiths extensively from 1909 until the 1930s, at which time its use was lessened as other symbols became more frequently used, such as arrows, whirling logs, and others.

Purchase or read more about this pin here..

Silver and turquoise are hallmarks of Native American jewelry from the Southwest.  Extensive stamped designs of Indian-like symbols, especially the Whirling Log design, are telltale signs of pre-World War II jewelry, often called Fred Harvey jewelry.  There were many companies manufacturing silver jewelry in the early part of the 20^th century.  Among the most recognized are The Fred Harvey Company, Sun Bell of Albuquerque and Maisel's Indian Trading Post of Albuquerque.

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There were many companies manufacturing silver jewelry in the early part of the 20^th century.  Among the most recognized are The Fred Harvey Company, Sun Bell of Albuquerque and Maisel's Indian Trading Post of Albuquerque.  All these companies, and others, employed Native American craftsmen to make jewelry.  The company provided the materials and the Natives provided the talent.  Much of this pre-World War II jewelry is referred to as Fred Harvey jewelry, as a generic term.

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Simple silver strips such as this one were stamped with Indian-looking symbols believed to enhance their appeal to the tourist trade. It apparently was successful as the Fred Harvey Company and many other companies had its silversmiths produce such items.  This rectangular pin is stamped with a Nohokos, or Whirling Log symbol, at the center and flanked by crossed arrows.  There are double arrowhead symbols on the edges and parallel lines on the corners and at mid-point.

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