Native Jewelry Maker- Verma Nequatewa, Hopi Nequatewa draws designs and patterns from the rich environment she sees from her studio at Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. Her inlay jewelry is reflective of patterns frequently observed in northern Arizona, such as the subtle colors a cloudy sky casts upon the vast surrounding lands or the complexity of the stone walls of ancient homes. Hand-cutting stones to create intricate patterns, Nequatewa fits them together on a flat gold surface like puzzle pieces. Through the years, she also learned how to choose the best turquoise, the finest coral, and other precious and semiprecious stones. An unusual or exceptional stone often serves as the inspiration for her jewelry. With a keen sense of color patterning, Nequatewa places turquoise next to opals or lapis lazuli. The stones not only complement each other, but the asymmetrical inlay also serves as an essential component contributing to the total design. In addition to inlay bracelets, earrings and other jewelry forms, Nequatewa is well-known for her corn maiden pendants--abstract forms imbued with their own personalities. A highly textured gold surface might reveal a glimpse of opal where a heart or eye would be. Reversed, the pendants expose intense color and pattern. Copyright 2012 References Bassman, T. Beauty of Hopi Jewelry. 1999. Dubin, L.S. North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment. 1999. Foxx, J.J. Turquoise Trail: Native American Jewelry and Culture of the Southwest. 1993. Frank, L. Indian Silver Jewelry of the Southwest, 1868-1930. 1997. Schaaf, G. American Indian Jewelry I: 1200 Artist Biographies. 2003. Schiffer, N. Jewelry by Southwest American Indians: Evolving Designs. 1991. Simpson, G. A Guide to Indian Jewelry of the Southwest. 1999. Wright, B. Hallmarks of the Southwest. 2000. |
Loloma's niece, Verma Nequatewa, who
initially learned jewelrymaking while still in
high school, worked with her uncle as an
apprentice for twenty years. Through their
close working relationship she learned about
design, technique and color--and the beauty
that surrounded her in the daily routine and
ceremonial life at Hopi. Loloma's attitude
toward life and his life's work had an
indelible impact upon Nequatewa. For years
they worked side by side in the studio Loloma
built near his home at Hotevilla. A tragic
injury caused his health to fail and, in 1989,
Nequatewa began making her own jewelry
under the name Sonwai, choosing the feminine
Hopi word for beauty to match the masculine
Loloma.
initially learned jewelrymaking while still in
high school, worked with her uncle as an
apprentice for twenty years. Through their
close working relationship she learned about
design, technique and color--and the beauty
that surrounded her in the daily routine and
ceremonial life at Hopi. Loloma's attitude
toward life and his life's work had an
indelible impact upon Nequatewa. For years
they worked side by side in the studio Loloma
built near his home at Hotevilla. A tragic
injury caused his health to fail and, in 1989,
Nequatewa began making her own jewelry
under the name Sonwai, choosing the feminine
Hopi word for beauty to match the masculine
Loloma.
