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An exceptionally striking
Modernist-style Navajo silver and green jade ring by Fred Thompson, c.1960’s-70’s
FRED THOMPSON (1921-2002) is considered to be one of the 20th century's premier Navajo silversmiths, renowned for his exceptionally well made, traditional silver work and his use of often quite large and unique stones of the very highest-quality, such as the lovely and distinctive stone shown here. Thompson began his silversmithing career in 1936 at the tender age of 15, working for the prominent Gallup, New Mexico Indian trader, Tobe Turpen for whom he worked his entire career, taking a few years off to serve in World War Two. Thompson worked in a completely traditional Navajo manner, making all of his own stamps and tools, and he eventually achieved worldwide recognition for creating bold, classic designs based around the use of the finest natural stones such as in this exceptionally striking and beautiful ring.
But, despite his completely traditional Navajo silversmith training and methods, Thompson also did have something
of an artistic “Wild Hair” so to speak, as he expressed most interestingly in this completely unique and distinctive ring. Take a few moments to note the many extraordinary details of this striking and spectacular piece. First, is the unusually long shape and size of the ring, the extended, tapered trapezoidally-shaped silver bezel platform provides for a very dramatic presentation of the large and beautifully hand-cut and hand-shaped medium green Jade or Jadeite stone, like a streamlined modern hand sculpture, so to speak. Here, Fred Thompson is possibly getting some artistic design inspiration from his Native American jewelry contemporary and colleague, the great Hopi jeweler, Charles Loloma (1921-1991) who was also making some very daring Modernist rings with long extended faces and shanks during this time period. Also, the streamlined modernist designs of Thompson’s Navajo colleague, Kenneth Begay (1910-1977) at the nearby Navajo Arts and Crafts Guild and later, The White Hogan Shop, might also have been some design inspiration as well.
Navajo Silversmith Fred Thompson (1921-2002)
Photo source and © Four Winds Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
In any case, the ring is superbly designed and beautifully made. It is especially well-executed and smoothly and finely finished; the craftsmanship is graceful and remarkable in every respect. A few more words about this unique Jade or Jadeite stone. Jade is a highly unusual material for a Navajo silversmith to work with (We have never seen it used before in Navajo jewelry.) but Charles Loloma was then using it and Fred Thompson had an unusually creative eye for and way with stones possibly also informed by his numerous close collaborations with the nearby brilliantly original Zuni Pueblo stone artist and carver, Leekya Deyuse (1889-1966) who used many unusual stone materials to great creative effect in his various stone fetishes, sculptures, inlays, necklaces and other stone work. Thompson and Leekya worked together over the years on a number of pieces made for Tobe Turpen’s Gallup, New Mexico trading Post where Thompson usually worked as well as for their nearby neighbor, the prominent Zuni Indian trader, C.G. Wallace. Tobe Turpen “lent” Thompson to C.G. Wallace to do the silver work for some of these collaborations and Wallace likewise “lent” Leekya to Tobe Turpen to do the stone work.
The ring measures a size 7 1/4 to 7 1/2 on a professional graduated ring sizer. The ring face measures an impressively-sized 2 1/2" in length and it is 3/4" in width at its widest point tapering down to 1/4" in width at the bottom of the ring. The ring face rises above the finger about 3/8" in height. The ring weighs a very comfortable and easy to wear 24 grams or 7/8 ounce. The ring is in excellent original condition overall, particularly for its now 50-60 years of age with some small degree of normal age-appropriate wear and it is properly signed on the inside of the silver shank with with Fred Thompson’s customary “Tilde” hallmark signature as seen above.
This unique ring is a particularly splendid and handsome historic, yet Modernist-looking piece from the fertile creative mind and extremely talented hands of a distinguished artist whose pieces are held in increasingly and deservedly high regard and thus are naturally growing more and more difficult and costly to come by today. To have this distinctive, rare piece come from his hand to yours is a great pleasure indeed, to which we can personally attest.
SOLD