
The art of silversmithing as practiced by the Navajo, Zuni, and other Pueblo Indians is a relatively recent cultural development. It was not until sometime between 1850 and 1870 that the Navajos acquired the skill of working in silver from the Mexican plateros (silversmiths) they encountered. From the Navajos, the art spread to the Zunis, and to a lesser degree to the other smaller tribes of the Pueblo groups. Although many tribes eventually learned the craft of silversmithing, none have developed it to the level of the Navajo, Zuni and later the Hopi.… Read More