H Fred Skaggs Modernist Silver Woven Chain Link Bracelet c 1950s

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A strikingly beautiful Modernist-style Sterling silver woven chain-link bracelet by H. Fred Skaggs, Scottsdale, AZ, c.1950’s

One of the finest, most innovative and influential American Modernist jewelers of the 20th Century, H. Fred Skaggs (d.1982) was a modest man of mild demeanor who never sought fame or renown, preferring to quietly make his revolutionary jewelry in his succession of two small shops in downtown Scottsdale, Arizona for some 30 years. Fred Skaggs’ jewelry is revolutionary in a number of significant ways; his unusual, swooping, streamlined designs are daring and innovative, his skillful manipulation and imaginative use of precious and non-precious metals and their varying textures, his choice of unusual, interesting stones and unique ways of shaping, setting and presenting them were all quite unique and extremely innovative in their way and at their time.

Fred Skaggs had perhaps his most profound influence on the career trajectory of the young Hopi Indian artist, Charles Loloma (1921-1991) beginning in the late 1950's when they were both living and working side by side in the Kiva Crafts Complex created by Lloyd Kiva New on 5th Avenue in downtown Scottsdale, Arizona. Charles and his wife Otellie were making and selling their unique brand of "Lolomaware" pottery at the time and Skaggs offered to trade Loloma jewelry-making lessons in exchange for pottery pieces. Loloma, who had already done some initial experimentation with jewelry-making, was intrigued and and the rest is beautiful history. For the rest of his life, Loloma always credited Skaggs with being his most significant inspiration and mentor in jewelry-making. Looking at Skaggs' unique and inventive designs, uses of different textures and surfaces in metals, asymmetric ring and bracelet shapes and unusual use and variety of set stones it's easy to see the genesis of a great many of Loloma's later jewelry ideas, forms and techniques.

The "Skaggs Fifth Avenue" Box

Fred Skaggs clearly had a very sly sense of humor. Notice the distinct resemblance in name and design presentation on his jewelry box to the famous “Saks

Fifth Avenue” department store in New York City. Fifth Avenue in dusty, little Scottsdale, Arizona in the mid-to-late 1950’s had yet to become a world-famous shopping destination, but a small group of talented and dedicated artistic friends, colleagues and collaborators at Scottsdale’s Kiva Craft Center led by Lloyd Kiva New, H. Fred Skaggs and Charles and Otellie Loloma were in the process of changing that forever. Above left, exterior view of the Kiva Crafts Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, c. 1950's. Above right, Charles and Otellie Loloma in their pottery studio and shop at The Kiva Craft Center, Scottsdale, AZ. c. 1956.

Left photo source and © Scottsdale Historical Society. Right photo source and © “Loloma, Beauty is his Name” by Martha H. Struever, Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe, 2005, pp. 12.

This striking Sterling silver chain link bracelet is a perfect case in point; it features a fascinating and

extremely complex arrangement of a continuous encircling row of interlocking hand-fashioned silver chain links. The amount of precise, perfectly-controlled skilled hand work involved here is difficult to comprehend, the perfectly-crafted silver links are almost too numerous to count, there must be close to 100 identically-shaped individual silver links in all. The close interlocking and the tight weaving together of the silver links provides a marvelous “texture” and “feel” to the bracelet and it catches the light most beautifully and dramatically, providing alternating bright and shadow areas depending on which way you move.

The bracelet measures 8” in length from end-to-end when fully opened up and it is a touch over 3/8" in continuous width all the way around. The inner circumference all the way around is approximately 6 1/2".

The bracelet weighs a substantial, yet extremely comfortable to wear 56 grams or 2 ounces. The bracelet is properly signed “H.F. Skaggs” and it is also marked “Sterling” on the silver clasp. The bracelet is in remarkably excellent original vintage condition and particularly so for its 70 or so years of age, there are no damages at all and no real visible wear in evidence. The bracelet’s silver clasp is in perfect working order.

This bracelet is a beautiful, eye-catchingly unique and extremely easy-to-wear Modernist jewelry masterwork

by one of the finest and most innovative American Modern jewelry masters ever. It is unconditionally guaranteed to turn heads every time you wear it, including your own.

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