navajo salt spoon

[dragonflywink]

This is a piece from my Mom's collection, Navajo master salt spoon, only mark is the one in my rather poorly rendered pencil sketch, an arrow over a W(?) or maybe LM.

~Cheryl






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[2209patrick]

Hi Cheryl.

Best possibility for your mom's spoon is Navajo silversmith Austin Wilson.
He used multiple versions of the bow & arrow mark.
Well known for his spoons.
Was working at least during the 1930's. Deceased by 1960.

Here's some similar marks. Let me know if you want info on any of these silversmiths.



Pat.
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[admin]

Look like an early (30s/40s) piece. Not that common to find a marked example from that period.

Regards, Tom
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[dragonflywink]

Tom, it's a nice looking piece, if the bowl hadn't been plain and the mark present, would have guessed it to be even earlier.

Patrick, will have to run over to Mom's at some point and examine to see if my drawing was accurate, the scans came from a running catalog I keep of her salt and salt spoon collection (better organized than my own collections). Wasn't expecting to see so many close variations.

~Cheryl
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[dragonflywink]

At my Mom's with loupe in hand, and my messy little rendition of the mark is near exact, Austin Wilson does seem the most likely candidate, will tentatively note him as the maker - Thanks Patrick!

~Cheryl
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[2209patrick]

Hi Cheryl.

Glad I could help some.
Hope you and your Mom have a merry Christmas.

Pat.
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[byron mac donald]

I think I am missing something, you say it is Austin Wilson, and yet the picture looks more like the one listing Yazzie, Little Joe. What am I missing?

Confused- Byron
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[2209patrick]

Byran, I made a mistake in posting that scan of marks from the bottom of the page.
One of Little Joe Yazzie's marks, a tomahawk, was cut off in the scan.
The names don't match up, straight accross, with the marks in the book.
The mark you refered to was used by Katherine Wilson after her husband's (Austin) death.




Cheryl, turns out that Ike Wilson is just another name for Austin Wilson.



Sorry for the confusion.
Pat.
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