The artistic explosion of talent in Zuni silver and stonework of the mid-20th Century is known as the Zuni Renaissance (c.1930-c.1960). It came at an historic crossroads of events and human endeavor. Seashells from the Gulf of Mexico and trade items such as silver crosses and brass ornaments were brought laboriously to the Southwestern Pueblos before New Mexico became a U.S. territory in 1846. The Spanish missions brought Christianity to the Zuni but they never lost sight of their own Creation mythology, the god/goddess Awonawilona, and spirits such as the Knifewing, protector of the village. In the first decades after 1900 there were many technical advantages for silver workers that had not been available in prior times. Commercial solder and blow torches were superior to using borax and silver shavings over an open fire. Electricity was used for lighting and other tools of the trade. The advent of the railroads in the Rio Grande Valley brought customer, national interest and opportunities for all Indian craftspeople. And into this mix of history and commerce emerged the highly gifted artists of Zuni.
One of the most innovative and compelling jewelers of this period was Dan Simplicio. In certain ways he was traditional -- hand-making his own decorative bezels, wire and sheet from ingot silver bars. He is however also credited with being the first to use branch uncut coral nuggets and branches in his pieces. His distinctive silver applied leaves and stamped silver drops became hallmarks of his style. His stone work included carving as well as mosaic and channel inlay. The resulting works were expressive and highly original, paving the way for a modernist movement in Native American silversmithing well into the later 20th Century.
Simplicio, along with many nearby Navajo and Zuni jewelers, worked primarily for trader Charles Garrett Wallace at the Zuni trading post in New Mexico. Artists such as Leo Poblano, Juan de Dios (Simplicio’s uncle), Leekya Deyuse, Teddie Weahkee, Frank Vacit and Frank Dishta like traded materials, tools and ideas with Simplicio and among each other -- a synergy Wallace and other traders encouraged by providing the artists with a steady marketplace and exemplary materials.
Many public and online museum displays of Simplicio’s work are available for further viewing: The Heard Museum, Phoenix; The Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe; The Albuquerque Museum; The Kennedy Collection of Ohio University.
