Timeless drama !
To work ingot into a cuff of this weight requires hammer "stretching" and multiple passes through a hand-cranked rolling mill. Each time the silver is worked to a point of hardness, when it ceases to be malleable, it has to be annealed. Moving silver into the exacting forms Mr. Begay coaxed out of ingot material, required over 200 full and area specific "heats", taking time, patience and finesse.
Three low profile pyramidal forms were raised and shaped using the repousse technique. Cruciform definition was achieved with a steel chisel edge, from the inside back, as the repousse progressed. Each form was made without a die guide and subsequently reinforced with smelted silver where the chisel was used.
Description | Timeless drama ! To work ingot into a cuff of this weight requires hammer "stretching" and multiple passes through a hand-cranked rolling mill. Each time the silver is worked to a point of hardness, when it ceases to be malleable, it has to be annealed. Moving silver into the exacting forms Mr. Begay coaxed out of ingot material, required over 200 full and area specific "heats", taking time, patience and finesse. Three low profile pyramidal forms were raised and shaped using the repousse technique. Cruciform definition was achieved with a steel chisel edge, from the inside back, as the repousse progressed. Each form was made without a die guide and subsequently reinforced with smelted silver where the chisel was used. |
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About the Artist | (1913-1977) Silversmith, jeweler and teacher, Kenneth Begay has been called the “father of modern Navajo jewelry”. In the early years his bold, modern designs were considered so radical that he was excluded from a 1949 exhibition of Native American art. Today his clean, elegant creations are seen in numerous museum collections including The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and the American Museum of Natural History, as well as the Heard Museum. Begay spent his most productive years (1948-1962) as a smith at the White Hogan in Scottsdale. His son, Harvey Begay became another highly regarded jeweler and silversmith. |
Culture | American Indian, Navajo |
Style | Modernist, Minimalism |
Medium | Sterling silver |
Troy ounces | 3.05 troy ounces |
Size | Inside end to end is 5 3/4" with a 1" opening. Cuff width is 1 3/4". |
Signed | KB stamped on cuff interior, Also White Hogan symbol, "Sterling" and "Hand Made" |
Date of creation | 1950's |
Condition | Pristine ! |
Description | Working from the front to create the deep lines radiating from each pyramid, required overlapping strikes with a smaller edged tool. Kenneth Begay used an array of different gauge screwdrivers that he re-forged and hardened to suit a variety of purposes. A fine file was then employed to painstakingly round the edges and smooth the valley of each line to their flawless chevroned intersections with one another. |
Provenance | Do Pr |
Gram weight | 95 grams |