Preston Monongye — Mission/Hopi-adopted Silversmith Hallmark — T.Skies Co-Op
Name-card placeholder — hallmark imagery to follow.
# Preston Monongye — Silversmith
Preston Monongye (1927–1987; Mission/Hopi-adopted) was active primarily from the 1960s until his death in 1987. Working mostly in silver with some gold, he produced tufa castings, fabricated jewelry, and hollowware. Throughout his long career he also worked as an accomplished wood carver and painter before turning to silver design, winning numerous awards for his "new Indian art" designs.
Monongye was adopted by the Monongye family in Hopi. His uncle Gene Pooyouma was one of his early teachers. He worked for Tanner's Indian Arts and Crafts Center in Gallup before moving to Phoenix in 1972. Monongye was one of the major innovators of modern Indian jewelry design; Hougart notes: "Like Loloma, the 'Monongye style' is widely imitated." He was a master of tufa casting, preferring silver while collaborating with others on inlay and stonework. He perfected his tufa casting skills after consulting with master caster Sedalia F. Lovato. Stone and inlay collaborators included Jim Harrison, Lee Yazzie, and his son Jesse Monongya. He taught silversmithing at the Phoenix Indian Center in the mid-1970s.
Some overlay work was produced in the early 1960s. His son Jesse Monongya became a multiple award-winning jeweler in his own right.
Beware of fake Preston Monongye marks — Hougart explicitly documents fake marks in circulation.
## The Marks
> "Preston Monongye (1927-1987; Mission/Hopi-adopted). Active 1960s-1987. Mostly silver, some gold. Tufa castings; fabricated jewelry; hollowware. [...] Marks: p (may have a shaped line below, likely the lower edge of the stamp itself); P (early 1950s; angular stamp above, half moon below with 12 rays; sometimes the angular stamps are missing); PM (1960s-1987; usually on cast work); Peyote bird with a P between the tail and the [body]" > — Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022), approx. p. ~21274.
Multiple marks across periods: a simple P (early); PM (1960s–1987, most common on cast work); a peyote bird image mark. Fake marks are documented in circulation — authentication requires careful research.
## References - Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. Schiffer Publishing, 2022. Entry approx. p. ~21274.
Know more about Preston Monongye or the modernist Hopi-adopted silversmithing tradition? Contact T.Skies.