Hopi Pueblo Sterling Silver Overlay Cuff Bracelet

ca. 1980s

6.5" + 1" Gap x 1.5" W

Hand Crafted from Sterling Silver with Intricate Hand-sawn Turtles (1 big turtle and 2 small turtles) Motif Hallmarked by Mark Tawahongva

Excellent Condition

Mark Tawahongva (1948- ) was born at the Hopi Third Mesa village of Hotevilla, Arizona. He learned to make traditional style Hopi jewelry at the Hopi Silvercraft Cooperative Guild. In addition to being a jeweler, Tawahongva is a musician. He plays the bass fiddle in a band. The artist's hallmark is a small set of rabbit ears and the initials MT.

The talented Hopi silversmith, Mark Tawahongva, was born in 1948 in the Third Mesa village of Hotevilla in Hopiland (Hopi Reservation). He is a member of the Rabbit and Tocacco clan. Mark’s interest in the arts led him first into music but several years ago he began to pursue a silversmithing career. He specializes in wide ban bracelets combining highly stylized traditional Hopi symbols into geometric designs. Mark has become known for his precise detail, which is evident in each of his hand crafted pieces. He currently spends most of his daylight hours making jewelry and many nights playing the bass fiddle with his band around Northern Arizona.