Description
sz11 Alvin Thompson Navajo sterling silver 5 band wide size 11 men's ring. Tested and guaranteed solid sterling silver with weight and measurements in photos, appropriate wear, circa fourth quarter of the 20th century.
(Born 1955, Navajo jeweler) “Alvin is a highly regarded silver and goldsmith who has perfected the art of sand casting to produce his work. Alvin comes from a family of silversmiths. He believes that the simplicity and versatility of sand casting helps influence the flow of the design process”. taken from Gregory Schaaf’s book “American Indian Jewelry III: M-Z.
A graduate of the Automotive Technology Vocational School and the University of Arizona, Thompson has won awards at Indian markets. His work is sold through the Thunder Eagle Native Art Gallery in Williams, AZ; the Heard Museum gift shop in Phoenix, AZ, and at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City.
Alvin is a highly regarded Navajo silversmith who has perfected the art of ‘sand casting’ to produce exquisite pieces of work. He was born in Winslow Arizona but spent much of his younger life in Seba Dalkai area on the Navajo Reservation north of Winslow. Alvin’s talent is a family tradition, he learned sand casting from his sister. Alvin describes his work method as ‘unassisted hand-poured cast silver,’ a process that involves using a sand medium for mold into which the silver is poured. He ‘carves’ designs into the sand or creates impressions in the sand with patterns.
Alvin is number 5 out of 7 children in his family. His oldest sister Lula, who taught him the art of sand casting, was the major influence of his traditional jewelry. He currently works closely with his sisters Frida, Lucy, and Marie who also make sand-cast jewelry.
Alvin has 3 children of his own that are now in college or working professionally. They will not be following the family tradition of jewelry making as of yet, but as Alvin says “Anything is possible!”
