Cast silver cuff bracelet with bronze inlay, Preston Monongye, 1970, Arizona State Museum.
Preston Monongye (1927-1991), was born in Los Angeles to an Indian mother and a Mexican father. During the Great Depression, at the age of seven, he was abandoned by his mother in Hotwell to Hopi Indians David Monongahya and his wife Nora, who adopted the boy and raised him in the Hopi family traditions.
Silver necklace with pendant inlaid with turquoise, coral and jet, Preston Monongye, circa 1860.
“Hopi is a philosophy, a way of life, meaning ‘People of Peace’. You can be red, white, yellow or black, it doesn’t matter: if you are a ‘Person of Peace’, you are Hopi.” This is how David Monongah explained to Preston the traditions of the Hopi Indians, who were excellent craftsmen: jewelers, weavers, basket makers and wood carvers. There he learned blacksmithing from his relative Gene Puyoma and began to create jewelry.
Silver and turquoise bolo tie depicting a Salako (Kachina cloud maiden) dancer, Preston Monongah, 1970, Arizona State Museum.
During World War II, Preston served as a paratrooper, and after demobilization, he joined the Bureau of Indian Affairs, continuing to design and create silver jewelry in his spare time.
The Spirit of the Hopi Salako, lithograph, Preston Monongier, 1984.
In the 1960s, he again took up the creation of jewelry in the technique that brought him wide fame, making him a recognized leader of the “New Indian Jewelry” movement of the 1970s. Using traditional Indian motifs, he created modern cast silver jewelry with traditional Native American stones. Monongah taught his art in various schools and workshops and lectured on contemporary Native American design. He has won numerous awards at exhibitions and competitions, and his jewelry can be seen in museum collections.
Sterling silver pendant inlaid with turquoise, shell, jet and coral, Preston Monongahye.Peyote Bird (or Water Bird, associated with lightning, thunder and visions) ring, sterling silver with turquoise, coral, jet and shell, Preston Monongah.Cast sterling silver cuff bracelet featuring turtle and Avanyu (winged or horned serpent), turquoise, coral, shell, jet, Preston Monongahye.Cast sterling silver bear pendant with inlay, shell, jet, turquoise and coral, Preston Monongahye.Kachina style cuff bracelet in cast silver, ebony, shell, turquoise and coral, Preston Monongah, 1970.Silver buckle with turquoise inlays, Preston Monongah, 1970.Cast silver cuff bracelet with ebony, shell, turquoise and coral, Preston Monongah, 1970.Silver necklace with turquoise inserts, Preston Monongahye.Cast sterling silver cuff bracelet with turquoise, shell and coral inlays, Preston Monongah, 1970.Cast sterling silver cuff bracelet with turquoise inlay, Preston Monongahye.Sterling silver pendant brooch with engraved image of stylized human and animal figures, Preston Monongahye.Silver necklace with turquoise inserts, Preston Monongah.Cast sterling silver shell belt buckle with turquoise, shell and coral inlays, Preston Monongah.Sterling silver necklace with jet claw pendant, turquoise, shell and coral inlays, Preston Monongahye.Cast sterling silver cuff bracelet featuring a lizard with turquoise, coral, onyx and lapis lazuli inlays, Preston Monongah, 1970.Fox with Prey in Mouth Brooch in gold with turquoise, jet and shell, Preston Monongahye.Sterling silver necklace with turquoise pendant, Preston Monongah.Necklace with zoomorphic figurine pendant, silver, turquoise, coral, shell, Preston Monongahye.Geometric cuff bracelet in cast sterling silver with turquoise and jet inlays, Preston Monongahye.Silver and turquoise bolo tie, Preston Monongier.Bolo tie pendant featuring a male profile wearing a ceremonial headdress with a kachina style sun design, silver, turquoise, shell and coral, Preston Monongahye and Jessie Monongahye.Preston Monongye (1927–1991),
