Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-02-14


fact those who are in a position 10
Judge state that some of the modern
examples Of native silversmithing on
the Navajo reservation are superior ID
every way to the best examples OF ear
lier work Of the redskinned cTa1ts-
men Of the forge.
At the fourth annual fair OF Navajo
Indians, which was held recently
there was dazzling display Of this
native silverware, showing the native
artists at their best. Probably 'So,ooc
worth Of Navajo iewelry was. on ex-
hibition, most of 1t being made up 10
purely native designs. The prize col
lection was the work OF Chis-chll-ie
(Curly Hair, a silversmlth who lives
near the trading post OF TWO Gray
Hills, fifty miles south OF Shlprock,
N. NJ. Chls.chIl-le is a middle-ageo
Indian, who has been a silVeFsmllf
since his youth. In fac. his Is 1am'
ily OF silversmiths, TIE trade oe.ns
handed down from father 20 son. much
rs trades are handed dcWn In some
European communities.
Chis-chil.le, like other Navajo gil.
yersmiths, uses only the crudest I'm
plements in making his silverWare.
His forge Is a square OF stones ana
adobe. the center having a round de-
preston for fireplace. The smoke ls
carried off and a draft created by Two
wooden tubes, covered with adobe 10
keen from burning, walled to the rear
Of the forge. His bellows is made or
sheepskin, and his anvil Is hard
stone or a piece OF iron. Any silver
smith who can get piece OF railroad
iron is looked upon with envy by his
fe!low-craftsme who must use FORCES
of cruder material. The crucibles for
melting silver are OF hard clay. and
are generally about the size OF tun1-
blers. with round bottoms. and with
curved rims provided with spouts t0'
mourning off the molten metal.
The molds which are used by the
native silversmiths are generally Gu:
out Of hard sandstone, and are creased
with mutton talow. Charcoal is usee
for fuel, the Indians being very cleV:T
at making it from juniper logs Gems
orally the smiths blowpl2e is piece
of hollow brass tubing: For pQlishings
he uses sandstone and ashes and. fG1
chasing and engraving unique designs
on the sllverware he .'uses .ne:nine
more than pocketknives! avis and
small files.
With such Implements the. Navajo
silversmith has been working, for; he
last sixty years. there being no record
Of silversmithing in the tribe preyioas,,
to that date. The, Indians do not care;
for more elaborate implements bat
cling to the tools With which they haEe!
been familiar for years. The effects
they secure with these crude imple-
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 Nava5os learned silversmithing
from the early Spsniards.: as many
people believe The Spanish explorers
were, inveterate keepers Of diaries and
other records. Nothing escaped their
observation, and il they had found
silversmiths among the Navajo tribe.
at that time even more warlike than
the Apache-there Is every, reason to
believe that some record would have
been made OF the fact: 1t is likely
that the craft was Learned from the
Mexlcans at a later era. and. it has
continued to grow in Importance until
II rivals the blanket-makingf industry
/ for which the tribe has become world.
famous. -. (:
While the blanket weaving is strict.
" a woman's occupation among the
Navajo people. silversmlthing is kept
as strictly among the men. A woman
silversmith has never been heard OF
among the Navajos. nor is there ang
record OF q male rug weaver, though
among the Hopis and other southwest
ern tribes. the men do most OF the
weaving.
The Navajo silversmlths do not use
silver bullion for their work. They
prefer silver coins. for the reason that
the minted silver has the right pro-
norton Of alloy to make enduring OF.
namepts Mexican dollars, which com
mand only their bullion value. are
generally used. these are melted
and run into the various molds. and.
after a laborious process Of polishing
and chasing. come out as finished or.
naments.
The art Of the Navajo silversmith Is
nowhere shown to better advantage
than in the manufacture OF the silver