Ruben Saufkie — Hopi Silversmith
Name-card placeholder — hallmark imagery to follow. © Turquoise Skies Inc.
Ruben Saufkie is a Hopi silversmith active since 1988. The Hougart record documents his work in tufa casting, stone sets, and overlay — three distinct technical approaches, ranging from the ancient casting method using volcanic tuff molds to the signature Hopi overlay technique.
Ruben Saufkie is the son of Paul Saufkie, Jr. and the grandson of Paul Saufkie — a significant lineage in Hopi silversmithing. Paul Saufkie (the grandfather) was among the founding generation of Hopi overlay silversmiths who developed the technique collaboratively with the Museum of Northern Arizona beginning in the late 1940s.
The Mark
“A rain cloud with lightning”
— Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. (2022), p. ~25846.
The hallmark is a pictographic stamp depicting a rain cloud with lightning — imagery deeply embedded in Hopi ceremonial and agricultural culture, where rain and storms carry profound symbolic meaning.
Know more about this artist? Contact T.Skies.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks, 5th ed. Schiffer Publishing, 2022. Entry approx. p. ~25846.