Santo Domingo Pueblo Indian Tufa Casting Jewelry

Anthony Lovato's jewelry and metalwork is formed by tufa casting. Not only does he make pendants, bracelets, and necklaces using this method, but he also creates hollowware jars that extend as much as seven inches in diameter. The whole design has to be done backwards. After the silver is melted and poured the design becomes a positive image on the silver with the fine sand grains as a natural texture to his silver work. The silver/gold jewelry he makes really is a gift from Mother Earth. He uses tufa sandstone only found on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona and brings rough blocks of the sandstone back home to Santo Domingo Pueblo. He then extracts one object from each sandstone carving, making truly one of a kind pieces.

Anthony grew up in a family of jewelry makers. His grandfather, Santiago Leo Coriz, who was born in 1913, initially made practical metalwork such as horseshoes and later made traditional jewelry. His grandfather learned casting from a Hopi friend and in turn taught Anthony. His mother, Mary, revised the traditional Pueblo shell inlay work.

In 1978, Anthony completed his associate of fine arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. From 1979 to 1980 following graduation, he worked at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. He took additional jewelry classes at the Northern Arizona University and at the University of Colorodo in Boulder to enrich his background. He has been a dedicated metal smith since 1984. He has taken an old tradition of casting and made it new.

He is a member of the Corn Clan and the use of corn imagery is in much of his work. Most of the designs go back to nature. He was influenced by his former instructor and noted sculptor Allan Houser.

Anthony Lovato has visited Connecticut for several years to showcase his work at Southern Exposure.

Mary & Anthony
with owners of Southern Exposure, Les & Lu