Italian Style Meets Southwestern Jewelry
November 23, 2017 8:02 PM   Subscribe

The Patania family of Santa Fe and Tucson are three generations of jewelers. The first two links (from 2011) provide an extensive history of the Italian immigrant Frank, a silversmith by trade, who wound up in Santa Fe, saw Native American jewelry and the gems used, and married the two. His son and grandson have carried on the business. These works are absolutely gorgeous and splendid and magnificent. I lived in Tucson for 14 years and cannot understand how I missed their shop, the Thunderbird. Ah well. Here's the link to Part Two This history also has a lot of photographs.

This third link (Nov. 2017) brings the Patania story up to date and has more info on the grandson and his more modern work. Silver Trail
posted by MovableBookLady (8 comments total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
Can anyone make an argument that this isn't cultural appropriation?

Also, some of the assumptions in that article are, well, a bit unsettling:

"Born in Messina, Italy in 1899, he followed the European tradition of apprenticeship. At six years of age, he was apprenticed to a goldsmith, where he was assigned the most mundane jobs [...] During his early years in New York he was disappointed at being unable to find a job in his apprenticed trade. Child Labor Laws of the time were the primary reason for the lack of work."

Yes, that notorious 1910s American Socialism cruelly dragging children away from hard labour as indentured apprentices!
posted by Major Clanger at 2:24 AM on November 24, 2017


At least one of the early pieces in the second link took me aback at their resemblance to Indian jewelry, as in India the country. However, when one looks at the contemporary pieces in the third link, there's little or no resemblance left, its pure design.

“He brought an outsider’s design sensibility and work style that didn’t exist in the Southwest.”

I'd say inspiration, history, and now, a natural progression into a unique family design language.
posted by infini at 4:23 AM on November 24, 2017 [1 favorite]


Can anyone make an argument that this isn't cultural appropriation?

People have different definitions of appropriation, but the third link makes the argument that it was a two-way exchange of design ideas rather than simple extraction/appropriation:
However, Frank Sr.’s designs stood out among the more familiar shapes of Native American jewelry, and in turn, his work influenced many artisans in the area. “He brought with him an Italian design sense, and worked silver in a gold and platinum style that made his pieces more sculptural and lighter in appearance than what was being done by Native Americans at the time,” Patania says. “His designs brought in clients who lived in the area part time and wanted jewelry that could be worn outside the Southwest.”

Although Frank Sr. did incorporate regional materials like silver and turquoise, as well as common motifs of Native American jewelry, his style blended these with European trends, such as the organic forms of Art Nouveau and the streamlined shapes of Art Deco. “Many of his motifs, like leaves, are not traditionally Native American, but they became ubiquitous in Native American work after he began using them,” Patania explains. “He brought an outsider’s design sensibility and work style that didn’t exist in the Southwest until he moved to Santa Fe in the early 1920s.”
posted by Dip Flash at 4:55 AM on November 24, 2017 [2 favorites]


I think that the jewelry is beautiful, and that this blending of cultures in art is something us Americans should appreciate about ourselves if we like to think/want to think of the USA as a nation of immigrants.
posted by oceanjesse at 6:59 AM on November 24, 2017 [2 favorites]


Indian jewelry in the Southwest is really complicated to understand in terms of cultural appropriation. The materials are distinctly local: turquoise from very nearby, coral and mother of pearl as part of a history of long distance trade. The jewelry techniques are definitely international and while influenced by some traditional designs, have always been avante garde. And the market is definitely nation-wide and international, the jewelry is made for sale to outsiders. (See also the history of Navajo Pawn. I believe silversmithing in Zuni and Navajo and Hopi only starts in the late 19th century. The Indian jewelers I've talked to are all proud to be part of a global tradition, they don't see what they do as isolated or proprietary. Quite the opposite, very glad to have the exposure.

And there have been plenty of non-Indian artisans making stuff in Indian styles for a long time. Patania's story with tuberculosis is interesting but not atypical, many folks who came to the Southwest came for their health. And some cross-collaboration (and also, yes, appropriation). I'm not positive but I think the most important yearly market, Indian Market in Santa Fe, requires exhibitors have heritage from recognized tribes. OTOH there's a lot of stuff outside the official market that's also sold at the same time.

Other Southwest arts and crafts are more private. Kachina dolls for instance; many folks believe real kachina should not be sold in stores at all, it is intensely disrespectful to Pueblo religion.

The 1950s pieces from Patania are really beautiful, particularly this asymmetric broach and this elegant choker.
posted by Nelson at 7:47 AM on November 24, 2017 [6 favorites]


yeah this is a heartwarming thanksgiving tale of native appropriations so at least it's in keeping with the overall holiday theme.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:09 AM on November 24, 2017


Thank you for posting this. I was sad to see the negative comments but I suppose the history of the southwest silversmiths is not widely known so I guess people might have a quick reaction that is not based in knowledge of the subject. The style of silver jewelry that the Patanias encountered was very new to the Native American silversmiths when Patania Sr. landed in New Mexico. Here is a little background but really you can learn all about it by googling the subject. I love the story and cannot for the life of me think of what an Italian goldsmith might have done in America to make a living besides- you know- make jewelry. The southwest silversmithing craft is not some pure form that has been practiced by indigenous cultures for thousands of years. Lapidary was an old craft, but silversmithing in that area was the recent result of many cultures meeting and exchanging materials and knowledge- from Mexico, Europe etc.
posted by catrae at 7:14 AM on November 26, 2017 [2 favorites]


That article is excellent catrae, thanks for posting it. See also a related article on Squash Blossom necklaces.
posted by Nelson at 7:42 AM on November 26, 2017 [1 favorite]


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