Hopi Traditions in Silver
Posted on June 22, 2008 by Stuart Kerty
Hopi and Navajo silversmith Ramon Dalangyawma produces sterling overlay jewelry and belt buckles that reflect his Hopi culture and feature traditional symbols of their clan, including wolves, bears, and antelope. In an arid high mountain community that grows their own food, their iconography also pays respect to clouds, lightning, and rain as an vital part of their lives.
These gleaming mirror-finished buckles are crafted from silver, considered by the Hopi to be a sacred element of Mother Earth. The traditional tribal technique called sterling overlay is made from two layers of silver where the intricate designs are cut through the top layer which is soldered onto the lower layer which has been tooled for texture and darkened through oxidation to add depth and contrast to the relief. Each piece is stamped with the artisan’s hallmark DALANGYAWMA representing the Hopi Greasewood clan.
These are beautiful original designs that you can wear proudly in homage to the deeply spiritual Hopi who still follow ancient ways of living, farming their native land, and producing works of art that reflect their traditions. Or simply because these belt buckles look great!
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