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A Field Guide to Southwest Jewelry · by Mateo James

What Is the Rainbow Man Symbol in Zuni Jewelry?

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What Is the Rainbow Man Symbol in Zuni Jewelry?

Rainbow Man · Field Guide · Symbols & Iconography

The Rainbow Man is a Zuni deity figure associated with rain, fertility, and the sky. In jewelry, he is depicted as an arched rainbow figure — often with stepped cloud elements — rendered in silver and stone inlay by Zuni artists in New Mexico. He forms a recognized trio with the Knife-Wing and Sun God figures in Zuni commercial jewelry, documented since the mid-twentieth century.

Mateo's Field Notes

In the Zuni (A:shiwi) cosmos, the Rainbow Man stands alongside the Knife-Wing God and the Sun Gods as one of the principal sky beings that smiths brought into silver. The figure's association with rain and fertility made him a natural subject for Zuni jewelers whose community had farmed the high desert of western New Mexico for centuries, dependent on the seasonal rains that the rainbow can signal.

Alonzo Hustito holds a singular place in this history. Jewelry scholar Gregory Hougart documented that Hustito was reportedly the originator of both the Rainbow Man and Knife-Wing figures in jewelry — a creative contribution that shaped an entire category of Zuni figurative work. The motif spread from there: Leonard Martza, Randon Sexkimo, and Bowman Paywa are among the smiths associated with Rainbow Man pieces in the documentary record.

Visually, the Rainbow Man is typically rendered as an arched human figure whose body follows the curve of a rainbow arc, often crowned with stepped cloud elements that echo the cloud-stair designs seen throughout Pueblo ceramics and weaving. The figure appears in mosaic inlay — turquoise, jet, coral, and shell — as well as in stamped and engraved silver. The deeper spiritual dimensions of the Rainbow Man are held within Zuni (A:shiwi) tradition and are not the subject of this page.

Collector's Handbook

  • Identifying the motif: Look for a curved or arched human figure, often with stepped cloud elements at the crown or base. The arc of the body follows a rainbow's curvature, distinguishing Rainbow Man from standing or frontal deity figures.
  • Common forms: Bracelets, rings, pendants, and bolo ties are the primary formats; larger cuff bracelets and bolo ties allow the full arched figure to be read clearly.
  • Inlay palette: Mid-century Rainbow Man pieces typically feature turquoise, jet, coral, and shell mosaic. Quality pieces show tightly fitted, hand-cut stones with minimal filler.
  • Attribution: Because Hustito is documented as the originator, pre-1960 Rainbow Man pieces with verifiable Zuni provenance are particularly significant to collectors of figurative Zuni work.

Artists in Our Directory

Two Zuni artists associated with related figurative traditions are in our online directory:

  • Anthony Edaakie — documented Zuni silversmith working in the figurative tradition
  • Lolita Natachu — Zuni artist with documented work in symbolic inlay design

Alonzo Hustito (originator), Leonard Martza, Randon Sexkimo, and Bowman Paywa are named in our source corpus but do not yet have directory pages.

Related

References

  • Bedinger, Margery. Indian Silver: Navajo and Pueblo Jewelers. 1973. (BEDINGER, p. 73)
  • Hougart, Gregory. Hallmarks of the Southwest. 2022. (HOUGART, p. 163)

Explore authenticated Southwest jewelry at T.Skies — pieces by artists working in the Zuni tradition.