Tommy Singer
Encyclopedia
Tommy Singer is a Navajo
silversmith
who specializes in chip-inlay jewelry. His inlaid turquoise, coral, and silver pieces incorporate traditional Navajo designs. Singer gained acclaim as the originator of the chip inlay design which he developed in the 1970s.
Singer is a member of the Navajo Nation
from Winslow, Arizona
. He perfected his craft working on the Navajo reservation in a small studio surrounded with his family and other tribal members.
He grew up on the Navajo Reservation and was taught silversmith
ing by his father, beginning at the age of seven. In the 1960s he invented the "chip-inlay" technique of using turquoise or coral chips in this silverwork. This technique has become widespread in his community. He also used stamps and work in overlay.
When asked about his work, Singer said,"Every piece is made with the various meanings from my traditional ways - the Navajo way of living. My father was a silversmith
, too. He taught me, and wanted me to continue this trade. It was my father's dream that I learn to silversmith so that I could continue his beliefs."
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
silversmith
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
who specializes in chip-inlay jewelry. His inlaid turquoise, coral, and silver pieces incorporate traditional Navajo designs. Singer gained acclaim as the originator of the chip inlay design which he developed in the 1970s.
Singer is a member of the Navajo Nation
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
from Winslow, Arizona
Winslow, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,520 people, 2,754 households, and 1,991 families residing in the city. The population density was 773.1 people per square mile . There were 3,198 housing units at an average density of 259.7 per square mile...
. He perfected his craft working on the Navajo reservation in a small studio surrounded with his family and other tribal members.
He grew up on the Navajo Reservation and was taught silversmith
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
ing by his father, beginning at the age of seven. In the 1960s he invented the "chip-inlay" technique of using turquoise or coral chips in this silverwork. This technique has become widespread in his community. He also used stamps and work in overlay.
When asked about his work, Singer said,"Every piece is made with the various meanings from my traditional ways - the Navajo way of living. My father was a silversmith
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
, too. He taught me, and wanted me to continue this trade. It was my father's dream that I learn to silversmith so that I could continue his beliefs."
External links
- Tommy Singer, official website