Zuni: A Village of Silversmiths

More than a guide to technique and design, this insiders' view of Zuni silverwork offers a fascinating window into Zuni culture. The authors examine Zuni silversmithing as an expression of cultural values and aesthetics and explore the relationships between jewelers and traders. They trace the history of jewelry at Zuni since Anasazi times. Using examples by more than twenty contemporary Zuni artists, they describe the techniques of casting, clusterwork, petitpoint, needlepoint, mosaic, overlay, and inlay for which Zuni jewelry is famous as well as nontraditional styles using new materials and techniques. Also included are several interviews in which Zunis discuss the aesthetics and history of silversmithing.
Published in cooperation with the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Nahohai, Milford

Ostler, James

Rodee, Marian E.

Antiques & Collectibles

Zuni A:shiwi Publishing

Zuni pueblo in western New Mexico is renowned for its small carved stone animal figurines, or fetishes. A fetish is an object, natural or manmade, in which a spirit is thought to reside and which can be used to effect either good or evil. According to legend, when a man finds a rock that resembles an animal, he has in his possession one of the original animals turned to stone by the children of the Sun Father. Such a fetish has the soul or breath of the animal inside. 
In recent years the market demand for fetishes from Zuni has spurred an increase in the number of carvers. Published in 1995 and now available from UNM Press, The Fetish Carvers of Zuni studies both the history of fetishes and Zuni's major contemporary fetish carvers, their art, aesthetics, and business.

The Fetish Carvers of Zuni

Arts & Photography

Rodee, Marian

History & Criticism

Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico

Explore the world of beautiful silver jewelry, and the exquisite craftsmanship of the Pueblo of Zuni silversmiths. Examine the development of Zuni silversmithing as an expression of Zuni cultural values and aesthetics. View the unique relationships these master craftspeople have developed with their traders and buyers. In Zuni A Village of Silversmiths contemporary Zuni artists enable you to enter the world of Zuni silversmithing and investigate the intricacies of design, personal style, and expression that make Zuni jewelry famous around the world. Over 200 photographs.

Zuni A:Shiwi Pub

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ostler, James. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Ostler, James