Hopi Pueblo Overlay Necklace By Gary + Elsie Yoyokie

ca. 1990

24" L x 2.5" D

Sterling Silver with 2 Indians Dancing Pin Pendant, Silver Chain and with Hook and Eye Closure 

Most of the Master Jewelers Work is Sent to Japan

Excellent Condition

Gary and Elsie Yoyokie are renowned Native American artists specializing in overlay jewelry, a technique where intricate designs are cut into one layer of sterling silver and soldered onto a textured base layer, often featuring traditional Hopi motifs like animals, symbols, and cultural figures. Gary Yoyokie (Hopi, born 1953) and Elsie Yoyokie (Diné/Navajo, born 1951) are a husband-and-wife team from the Hopi Spider Clan, based on Third Mesa in the Hopi Reservation, Arizona. They began creating silverwork in the late 1960s and are celebrated for their precise, award-winning craftsmanship that blends Hopi and Navajo influences. Their pieces are highly collectible, often signed with their names, and appear in museums like the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

Hopi overlay is a distinctive silversmithing technique developed in the 1940s, featuring two sterling silver layers. The top layer has a hand-cut design, which is soldered onto a bottom layer that is textured and oxidized (blackened) for contrast. The style highlights intricate, traditional symbols with a high-polished top and dark, recessed background.