Thousands
of years ago, Paleo-Indians began making ornaments out of the available
materials their tribes had, and the tradition continues today. They continue
transforming gemstones and precious metals into wearable pieces of jewelry that
are sought after by collectors and Native American art enthusiasts. One of the
popular names in this industry is Watson Honanie Hopi from the Bear clan, who
is known for his stunning silverworks.
Watson
started at an early age because of an influence of his uncles in the Hopi
Silvercraft Guild, who are Fred Kabotie and Porter Timecheand. His brother,
Phillip, taught him the overlay technique.
What
sets apart Watson
Honanie Hopi's jewelry pieces from others are the images they
depict. Most of his works portray the culture and tradition of the Hopi village
and its tribal clans. You will notice that the expertly cut petroglyph images
show ceremonial dancers, kachinas belief, and animals. His contribution to the
development of gold overlay techniques has made him a famous innovator.
He
sometimes incorporates stones and gemstones such as diamond and turquoise to
make his pieces more alluring and unique. Though he is known for gold overlay,
he also uses sterling silver in handcrafting rings, bracelets, pendants, and
other types of jewelry. In fact, some of his pieces today have gold and silver
overlay.
Watson
Honanie Jewelry has won many awards at the prestigious Santa Fe Indian Market. He
received the Best of Division for his concho belt, which incorporated three
types of materials, namely coral, gold, and silver. He also received Best of
Class in the same event.
It
can be difficult to find a Watson Honanie Hopi piece as some of his works are
displayed in galleries across the country, but collectors can still buy them. They
are carried by exclusive jewelry shops that specialize in Native American
jewelry.
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