Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-02-15
or WE WlzRPzzH-

crafts fOf the American lhuhah'
the work OF the Navajo silver
~ smith and other artisans u
showing no deterioration, IN
fact those who are In a position 10
Judge state that some OF the modern
examples Of native silversmithfnS ON
the Navajo reservation are superior III
every way to the best examples OF ear
lier work Of the redskinned craI's'
men Of the forge.
At the fourth annual fair OF Navajo
Indians, which was held recently
there was a dazzling display OF THIS
native silverware. showing the native
artists at their hest Probably $S,0oo
worth Of Navajo jewelry was on ex-
hibition, most OF 1t being made up IN
purely native designs The prize col
lection was the work Of CHS chile
tCurly Hair, a silversmiti who lives
aear the trading post OF Two Gray
Hills. fifty miles south Of Shiprock.
N. NJ Chis-ehil-le 10 middle-aged
indian, who has been q silversmith
since his youth In fact his Is ram
lily OF silversmiths. the trade being
handed down from father to son. mucn
as trades are handed down IN some
European communities
Chis-chil-le, like other Navajo sill
versmiths, uses only the crudesf I'M
Elements In making his silverWare.
His forge Is square OF stones ana
adobe. the center having q round de-
preston for fireplace The smoke Is
carried of and draft created by two
wooden tubes. covered with adobe TO
keep from burning. walled to the rear
of the foyges His bellows Va made OF
sheepskin. and his anvil is hard
stone or a piece of iron Any silver
smith who can get a piece OF railroad
iron h. hooked upon with envy by his
eIlow-craftsmen who must use FORCES
of cruder material The crucibles for
melting silver are Of hard clay and
are generally sbout the size OF tum
blers, with round bottoms. and with
curved rims provided with sponts for
pouring of the molten metal
The molds which are used by the
native silversmiths are generally cut
out of hard sandstone. and are creased
with mutton tallow Charcoal Is used
for fuel, the Indians being very clever
at making 1t from juniper logs Gen
orally the smiths blowpipe Is piece
Of hollow brass tubing For polishing
he uses sandstone AVID ashes, and for
chasing and engraving unique designs
on the silverware he uses nothing
more than pocketknives. avis and
small files.
With such implements the Navajo
silversmith has been working for the
last sixty years. there being no record
OF silversmithing in the tribe previous
to that date. The Indians do not care
for more elaborate implements but
cling to the tools with which they have
been familiar for years. The effects
they secure with these crude nipple
ments are nothing short Of amazing.
the chasing on some of the Navajo sill.
verware being equal to the better
grade OF work turned out Of high,
grade jewelry establishments
There Is no reason to believe that
the Navajos learned silwersmfthing
from the early Spaniards. as many
people believe. The Spanish explorers
were inveterate keepers Of diaries and
other records No hing escaped their
observstion. sud II they had found
silwersmitha amongqthe' Navajo Tribe
IL ka hau
the Apache-there ID every reason to
believe that some record wouft fIHve
been made of the fact, II Is likely
that the craft was learned from the
Mexicans at n fRter era. and II mas
continued to grow IN importance until
r. rivals the blank ct making industry
for which the tribe has become world
famous
While the blanket weaving is strict
" woman's oceupat!o: among the
Navajo people. silversmithing Is kept
as strictly amonR the men A woman
sIlversmith has never been heard OF
among the Nava1os. nor 10 there any
record OF = male mug weaver. though
among the Hopisand otfer southwest
ern tribes, the men do most Of the
weaving
The Navajo siiversmiths do not use
silver bullion for their work They
prefer silver coins. for the reason that
the minted silver has the right pro-
portion OF alloy to make enduring or
naments. Mexican dollars. which com.
mand only their bullion value. are
generally used. fhese are melted
and run into the various meids. and.
after q laborieus, process Of polishing
and chasing. come ont az finished or.
nanients.
The art Of the Naxsto silversmith Ia
nowhere shown to- better advantage
than In the manufacture ef the silver
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