de ,france 7,bn,f_/,gallica7 at         
http3_/_/gallica4bnf4fr7                
,,smithsonian ,,institution--,,bureau   
,,of ,,ethnology4  ,,navajo             
,,silversmiths4  ,,by  ,dr4 ,,washington
 ,,matthews1 ,u4,s4,a4                  
,,illustrations4  ,,plate ,,xvi4        
,objects in silver                      
#agb       ,,xvii4   ,navajo workshop   
#age       ,,xviii4  ,crucible1 and     
,sandstone molds for                    
shaping silver objects                  
#age       ,,xix4    ,objects in silver 
#agg       ,,xx4     ,navajo ,indian    
with silver ornaments      #agh         
,,navajo ,,silversmiths4  ,,by          
,,washington ,,matthews4   ,among the   
,navajo ,indians there are many smiths1 
who sometimes forge iron and brass1 but 
who work chiefly in silver4 ,when and   
how the art of working metals was       
introduced among them ,i have not been  
able to determine2 but there are many   
reasons for supposing that they have    
long possessed it2 many believe that    

they are not indebted to the ,europeans 
for it4 ,doubtless the tools obtained   
from ,american and ,mexican traders have
 influenced their art4 ,old white       
residents of the ,navajo country tell me
 that the art has improved greatly      
within their recollection2 that the     
ornaments made fifteen years ago do not 
compare favorably with those made at the
 present time2 and they attribute this  
change largely to the recent            
introduction of fine files and          
emery-paper4 ,at the time of the        
,conquest the so-called civilized tribes
 of ,mexico had attained considerable   
skill in the working of metal1 and it   
has been inferred that in the same      
period the sedentary tribes of ,new     
,mexico also wrought at the forge4 ,from
 either of these sources the first      
smiths among the ,navajos may have      
learned their trade2 but those who have 
seen the beautiful gold ornaments made  
by the rude ,indians of ,british        
,columbia and ,alaska1 many of whom are 

allied in language to the ,navajos1 may 
doubt that the latter derived their art 
from a people higher in culture than    
themselves4  ,the appliances and        
processes of the smith are much the same
 among the ,navajos as among the ,pueblo
 ,indians4 ,but the ,pueblo artisan1    
living in a spacious house1 builds a    
permanent forge on a frame at such a    
height that he can work standing1 while 
his less fortunate ,navajo confrre1     
dwelling in a low hut or shelter1 which 
he may abandon any day1 constructs a    
temporary forge on the ground in the    
manner hereafter described4             
,notwithstanding the greater            
disadvantages under which the latter    
labors1 the ornaments made by his hand  
are generally conceded to be equal or   
even superior to those made by the      
,pueblo ,indian4  ,a large majority of  
these savage smiths make only such      
simple articles as buttons1 rosettes1   
and bracelets2 those who make the more  
elaborate articles1 such as             

powder-chargers1 round beads 7,pl4      
,,xvi71 tobacco cases1 belts1 and bridle
 ornaments are few4 ,tobacco cases1 made
 in the shape of an army canteen1 such  
as that represented in ,fig4 #f1 are    
made by only three or four men in the   
tribe1 and the design is of very recent 
origin4  ,their tools and materials are 
few and simple2 and rude as the results 
of their labor may appear1 it is        
surprising that they do so well with    
such imperfect appliances1 which usually
 consist of the following articles3 ,a  
forge1 a bellows1 an anvil1 crucibles1  
molds1 tongs1 scissors1 pliers1 files1  
awls1 cold-chisels1 matrix and die for  
molding buttons1 wooden implement used  
in grinding buttons1 wooden stake1      
basin1 charcoal1 tools and materials for
 soldering 7blow-pipe1 braid of cotton  
rags soaked in grease1 wire1 and borax71
 materials for polishing 7sand-paper1   
emery-paper1 powdered sandstone1 sand1  
ashes1 and solid stone71 and materials  
for whitening 7a native mineral         

substance--almogen--salt and water74    
,fig4 #a1 taken from a photograph1      
represents the complete shop of a       
silversmith1 which was set up           
temporarily in a summer lodge or hogan1 
near ,fort ,wingate4 ,fragments of      
boards1 picked up around the fort1 were 
used1 in part1 in the construction of   
the hogan1 an old raisin-box was made to
 serve as the curb or frame of the      
forge1 and these things detracted       
somewhat from the aboriginal aspect of  
the place4  ,a forge built in an        
outhouse on my own premises by an       
,indian silversmith1 whom ,i employed to
 work where ,i could constantly observe 
him1 was twenty-three inches long1      
sixteen inches broad1 five inches in    
height to the edge of the fire-place1   
and the latter1 which was bowl-shaped1  
was eight inches in diameter and three  
inches deep4 ,no other ,navajo forge    
that ,i have seen differed materially in
 size or shape from this4 ,the ,indian  
thus constructed it3 ,in the first      

place1 he obtained a few straight       
sticks--four would have sufficed--and   
laid them on the ground to form a frame 
or curb2 then he prepared some mud1 with
 which he filled the frame1 and which he
 piled up two inches above the latter1  
leaving the depression for the          
fire-place4 ,before the structure of mud
 was completed he laid in it the wooden 
nozzle of the bellows1 where it was to  
remain1 with one end about six inches   
from the fire-place1 and the other end  
projecting about the same distance      
beyond the frame2 then he stuck into the
 nozzle a round piece of wood1 which    
reached from the nozzle to the          
fire-place1 and when the mud work was   
finished the stick was withdrawn1       
leaving an uninflammable tweer4 ,when   
the structure of mud was completed a    
flat rock about four inches thick was   
laid on at the head of the forge--the   
end next to the bellows--to form a back 
to the fire1 and lastly the bellows was 
tied on to the nozzle1 which1 as        

mentioned above1 was built into the     
forge1 with a portion projecting to     
receive the bellows4 ,the task of       
constructing this forge did not occupy  
more than an hour4  ,illustration3 ,,pl4
 ,,xvi4 ,,objects ,,in ,,silver4  ,a    
bellows1 of the kind most commonly used1
 consists of a tube or bag of goatskin1 
about twelve inches in length and about 
ten inches in diameter1 tied at one end 
to its nozzle and nailed at the other to
 a circular disk of wood1 in which is   
the valve4 ,this disk has two arms3 one 
above for a handle and the other below  
for a support4 ,two or more rings or    
hoops of wood are placed in the         
skin-tube to keep it distended1 while   
the tube is constricted between the     
hoops with buckskin thongs1 and thus    
divided into a number of compartments1  
as shown in ,pl4 ,,xvii4 ,the nozzle is 
made of four pieces of wood tied        
together and rounded on the outside so  
as to form a cylinder about ten inches  
long and three inches in diameter1 with 

a quadrangular hole in the center about 
one inch square4 ,the bellows is worked 
by horizontal movements of the arm4 ,i  
have seen among the ,navajos one        
double-chambered bellows with a         
sheet-iron tweer4 ,this bellows was     
about the same size as the single       
chambered one described above4 ,it was  
also moved horizontally1 and by means of
 an iron rod passing from one end to the
 other and attached to the disks1 one   
chamber was opened at the same time that
 the other was closed1 and vice versa4  
,this gave a more constant current of   
air than the single-chambered implement1
 but not as steady a blast as the       
bellows of our blacksmiths4 ,such a     
bellows1 too1 ,i have seen in the       
,pueblo of ,zui4  ,for an anvil they    
usually use any suitable piece of iron  
they may happen to pick up1 as for      
instance an old wedge or a large bolt1  
such as the king-bolt of a wagon4 ,a    
wedge or other large fragment of iron   
may be stuck in the ground to steady it4

 ,a bolt is maintained in position by   
being driven into a log4 ,hard stones   
are still sometimes used for anvils and 
perhaps they were1 at one time1 the only
 anvils they possessed4  ,crucibles are 
made by the more careful smiths of clay1
 baked hard1 and they are nearly the    
same shape as those used by our         
metallurgists1 having three-cornered    
edges and rounded bottoms4 ,they are    
usually about two inches in every       
dimension4  ,fig4 #a1 ,pl4 ,,xviii      
represents one of ordinary shape and    
size1 which ,i have in my collection4   
,the ,navajos are not good potters2     
their earthenware being limited to these
 crucibles and a few unornamented       
water-jars2 and it is probably in       
consequence of their inexperience in the
 ceramic art that their crucibles are   
not durable4 ,after being put in the    
fire two or three times they swell and  
become very porous1 and when used for a 
longer time they often crack and fall to
 pieces4 ,some smiths1 instead of making

 crucibles1 melt their metal in suitable
 fragments of ,pueblo pottery1 which may
 be picked up around ruins in many      
localities throughout the ,navajo       
country or purchased from the ,pueblo   
,indians4  ,the moulds in which they    
cast their ingots1 cut in soft sandstone
 with a home-made chisel1 are so easily 
formed that the smith leaves them behind
 when he moves his residence4 ,each     
mould is cut approximately in the shape 
of the article which is to be wrought   
out of the ingot cast in it1 and it is  
greased with suet before the metal is   
poured in4 ,in ,figs4 #b and #c1 ,pl4   
,,xviii1 are represented pieces of      
sand-stone1 graven for molds1 now in my 
possession4 ,the figures are one-third  
the dimensions of the subjects4 ,in the 
middle cavity or mould shown in ,fig4   
#b1 ,pl4 ,,xviii1 was cast the ingot    
from which was wrought the arrow-shaped 
handle of the powder-charger shown in   
,pl4 ,,xix2 in the lower cavity depicted
 in the same figure was moulded the     

piece from which the bowl of this       
charger was formed4 ,the circular       
depression1 delineated in the lower     
right corner of ,fig4 #c1 ,pl4 ,,xviii1 
gave form to the ingot from which the   
sides of the canteen-shaped tobacco-case
 7,fig4 #f7 was made4  ,tongs are often 
made by the ,navajo silversmiths4 ,one  
of these which ,i saw had a ,u-shaped   
spring joint1 and the ends were bent at 
right angles downwards1 so as more      
effectually to grasp the flat-sided     
crucible4 ,often nippers or scissors are
 used as tongs4  ,ordinary scissors1    
purchased from the whites1 are used for 
cutting3 their metal after it is wrought
 into thin plates4 ,the metal saw and   
metal shears do not seem as yet to have 
been imported for their benefit4 ,some  
of the more poorly provided smiths use  
their scissors also for tongs1          
regardless or ignorant of consequences1 
and when the shears lose their temper   
and become loose-jointed and blunt1 the 
efforts of the ,indian to cut a rather  

thick plate of silver are curious to    
see4 ,often1 then1 one or two bystanders
 are called to hold the plate in a      
horizontal position1 and perhaps another
 will be asked to hold the points of the
 scissors to keep them from spreading4  
,scissors are sometimes used as         
dividers1 by being spread to the desired
 distance and held in position by being 
grasped in the hand4 ,by this means ,i  
have seen them attempt to find centers1 
but not to describe circles4 ,it is     
probable that had they trusted to the   
eye they might have found their centers 
as well4  ,their iron pliers1 hammers1  
and files they purchase from the whites4
 ,pliers1 both flat-pointed and         
round-pointed1 are used as with us4 ,of 
files they usually employ only small    
sizes1 and the varieties they prefer are
 the flat1 triangular1 and rat-tail4    
,files are used not only for their      
legitimate purposes1 as with us1 but the
 shanks serve for punches and the points
 for gravers1 with which figures are    

engraved on silver4  ,the ,indians      
usually make their own cold-chisels4    
,these are not used where the scissors  
and file can be conveniently and        
economically employed4 ,the re-entrant  
rectangles on the bracelet represented  
in ,fig4 #d1 ,pl4 ,,xix1 were cut with a
 cold-chisel and finished with a file4  
,awls are used to mark figures on the   
silver4 ,often they cut out of paper a  
pattern1 which they lay on the silver1  
tracing the outline with an awl4 ,these 
tools are sometimes purchased and       
sometimes made by the ,indians4 ,i have 
seen one made from a broken knife which 
had been picked up around the fort4 ,the
 blade had been ground down to a point4 
,metallic hemispheres for beads and     
buttons are made in a concave matrix by 
means of a round-pointed bolt which ,i  
will call a die4 ,these tools are always
 made by the ,indians4 ,on one bar of   
iron there may be many matrices of      
different sizes1 only one die fitting   
the smallest concavity1 is required to  

work the metal in all4 ,in the picture  
of the smithy 7,pl4 ,,xvii1 in the right
 lower corner beside the tin-plate71 a  
piece of an old horse-shoe may be seen  
in which a few matrices have been       
worked1 and1 beside it1 the die used in 
connection with the matrices4           
,illustration3 ,,pl4 ,,xviii4           
,,crucible1 ,,and ,,sandstone ,,molds   
,,for ,,shaping ,,silver ,,objects4     
,illustration3 ,,pl4 ,,xvii4 ,,workshop 
,,of ,,navajo ,,silversmith4  ,a little 
instrument employed in levelling the    
edges of the metallic hemispheres1 is   
rude but effective4 ,in one end of a    
cylinder of wood1 about three or four   
inches long1 is cut a small roundish    
cavity of such a size that it will hold 
the hemisphere tightly1 but allow the   
uneven edges to project4 ,the hemisphere
 is placed in this1 and then rubbed on a
 flat piece of sandstone until the edges
 are worn level with the base of the    
wooden cylinder4 ,the uses of the basin 
and the wooden stake are described      

further on4  ,their method of preparing 
charcoal is much more expeditious than  
that usually employed by our            
charcoal-burners1 but more wasteful2    
wood1 however1 need not yet be          
economized on the juniper-covered mesas 
of ,new ,mexico4 ,they build a large    
fire of dry juniper1 and when it has    
ceased to flame and is reduced to a mass
 of glowing coals1 they smother it well 
with earth and leave it to cool4 ,if the
 fire is kindled at sunset1 the charcoal
 is ready for use next morning4  ,the   
smith makes his own blow-pipe1 out of   
brass1 usually by beating a piece of    
thick brass wire into a flat strip1 and 
then bending this into a tube4 ,the pipe
 is about a foot long1 slightly tapering
 and curved at one end2 there is no     
arrangement for retaining the moisture  
proceeding from the mouth4 ,these       
,indians do not understand our method of
 making an air chamber of the mouth2    
they blow with undistended cheeks1 hence
 the current of air directed on the     

flame is intermitting4 ,the flame used  
in soldering with the blow-pipe is      
derived from a thick braid of cotton    
rags soaked in mutton suet or other     
grease4 ,their borax is purchased from  
the whites1 and from the same source is 
derived the fine wire with which they   
bind together the parts to be soldered4 
,i have been told by reliable persons   
that it is not many years since the     
,navajos employed a flux mined by       
themselves in their own country2 but1   
finding the pure borax introduced by the
 traders to be much better1 they        
gradually abandoned the use of the      
former substance4  ,for polishing1 they 
have sand-paper and emery-paper         
purchased from the whites2 but as these 
are expensive1 they are usually required
 only for the finishing touches1 the    
first part of the work being done with  
powdered sandstone1 sand1 or ashes1 all 
of which are used with or without water4
 ,at certain stages in the progress of  
the work1 some articles are rubbed on a 

piece of sandstone to reduce the        
surfaces to smoothness2 but the stone1  
in this instance1 is more a substitute  
for the file than for the sand-paper4   
,perhaps ,i should say that the file is 
a substitute for the stone1 for there is
 little doubt that stone1 sand1 and     
ashes preceded file and paper in the    
shop of the ,indian smith4  ,for        
blanching the silver1 when the forging  
is done1 they use a mineral substance   
found in various parts of their country1
 which1 ,i am informed by ,mr4 ,taylor1 
of the ,smithsonian ,institution1 is a  
hydrous sulphate of alumina1 called     
almogen4 ,this they dissolve in water1  
in a metal basin1 with the addition1    
sometimes1 of salt4 ,the silver1 being  
first slightly heated in the forge1 is  
boiled in this solution and in a short  
time becomes very white4  ,the processes
 of the ,navajo silversmith may be best 
understood from descriptions of the ways
 in which he makes some of his silver   
ornament4 ,i once engaged two of the    

best workmen in the tribe to come to    
,fort ,wingate and work under my        
observation for a week4 ,they put up    
their forge in a small outbuilding at   
night1 and early next morning they were 
at work4 ,their labor was almost all    
performed while they were sitting or    
crouching on the ground in very         
constrained positions2 yet ,i never saw 
men who worked harder or more steadily4 
,they often labored from twelve to      
fifteen hours a day1 eating their meals 
with dispatch and returning to their    
toil the moment they had done4          
,occasionally they stopped to roll a    
cigarette or consult about their work1  
but they lost very few moments in this  
way4 ,they worked by the job and their  
prices were such that they earned about 
two dollars a day each4  ,the first     
thing they made was a powder charger    
with a handle in the shape of a dart    
7,fig4 #b1 ,pl4 ,,xix74 ,having cut in  
sandstone rock 7,fig4 #b1 ,pl4 ,,xviii7 
the necessary grooves for molds and     

greased the same1 they melted two       
,mexican dollars--one for the bowl or   
receptacle1 and one for the handle--and 
poured each one into its appropriate    
mold4 ,then each smith went to work on a
 separate part2 but they helped one     
another when necessary4 ,the ingot cast 
for the receptacle was beaten into a    
plate 7triangular in shape1 with obtuse 
corners71 of a size which the smith     
guessed would be large enough for his   
purpose4 ,before the process of bending 
was quite completed the margins that    
were to form the seam were straightened 
by clipping and filing so as to assume a
 pretty accurate contact1 and when the  
bending was done1 a small gap still left
 in the seam was filled with a shred of 
silver beaten in4 ,the cone1 at this    
stage1 being indented and irregular1 the
 workman thrust into it a conical stake 
or mandrel1 which he had formed         
carefully out of hard wood1 and with    
gentle taps of the hammer soon made the 
cone even and shapely4 ,next1           

withdrawing the stake1 he laid on the   
seam a mixture of borax and minute      
clippings of silver moistened with      
saliva1 put the article into the fire1  
seam up1 blew with the bellows until the
 silver was at a dull red-heat1 and then
 applied the blow-pipe and flame until  
the soldering was completed4 ,in the    
meantime the other smith had1 with      
hammer and file1 wrought the handle     
until it was sufficiently formed to be  
joined to the receptacle1 the base of   
the handle being filed down for a length
 of about a quarter of an inch so that  
it would fit tightly into the orifice at
 the apex of the receptacle4 ,the two   
parts were then adjusted and bound      
firmly together with a fine wire passing
 in various directions1 over the base of
 the cone1 across the protuberances on  
the dart-shaped handle1 and around both4
 ,this done1 the parts were soldered    
together in the manner already          
described1 the ring by which it is      
suspended was fastened on1 the edge of  

the receptacle was clipped and filed1   
and the whole was brought into good     
shape with file1 sand1 emery-paper1 c4  
,illustration3 ,,pl4 ,,xix4 ,,objects   
,,in ,,silver4  ,the chasing was the    
next process4 ,to make the round        
indentations on the handle1 one smith   
held the article on the anvil while the 
other applied the point of the shank of 
a file--previously rounded--and struck  
the file with a hammer4 ,the other      
figures were made with the sharpened    
point of a file1 pushed forward with a  
zigzag motion of the hand4 ,when the    
chasing was done the silver was blanched
 by the process before referred to1     
being occasionally taken from the       
boiling solution of almogen to be rubbed
 with ashes and sand4 ,for about five   
hours both of the smiths worked together
 on this powder-charger2 subsequently1  
for about three hours' more1 there was  
only one man engaged on it2 so that1 in 
all1 thirteen hours labor was spent in  
constructing it4 ,of this time1 about   

ten hours were consumed in forging1     
about one and one-half hours in filing  
and rubbing1 and about the same time in 
ornamenting and cleaning4  ,in making   
the hollow silver beads they did not    
melt the silver1 but beat out a ,mexican
 dollar until it was of the proper      
tenuity--frequently annealing it in the 
forge as the work advanced4 ,when the   
plate was ready they carefully described
 on it1 with an awl1 a figure 7which1 by
 courtesy1 we will call a circle7 that  
they conjectured would include a disk   
large enough to make half a bead of the 
required size4 ,the disk was then cut   
out with scissors1 trimmed1 and used as 
a pattern to cut other circular pieces  
by4 ,one of the smiths proceeded to cut 
out the rest of the planchets1 while his
 partner formed them into hollow        
hemispheres with his matrix and die4 ,he
 did not put them at once into the      
cavity from which they were to get their
 final shape1 but first worked them a   
little in one or more larger cavities1  

so as to bring them gradually to the    
desired form4 ,next the hemispheres were
 leveled at the edges by a method       
already described1 and subsequently     
perforated by holding them1 convex      
surface downwards1 on a piece of wood1  
and driving through them the shank of a 
file with blows of a hammer4 ,by this   
means of boring1 a neck was left        
projecting from the hole1 which was not 
filed off until the soldering was done4 
,the hemispheres were now strung or1 ,i 
may say1 spitted on a stout wire in     
pairs forming globes4 ,the wire or spit 
referred to was bent at one end and     
supplied with a washer to keep the heads
 from slipping off1 and all the pieces  
being pressed closely together were     
secured in position by many wraps of    
finer wire at the other end of the spit4
 ,the mixture of borax1 saliva1 and     
silver was next applied to the seams of 
all the beads2 they were put into the   
fire and all soldered at one operation4 
,when taken from the fire they were     

finished by filing1 polishing and       
blanching4  ,these ,indians are quite   
fertile in design4 ,in ,pl4 ,,xix are   
shown two powder-chargers1 which ,i     
consider very graceful in form4 ,i have 
seen many of these powder-chargers1 all 
very graceful1 but no two alike except  
in cases where duplicates had been      
specially ordered4 ,their designs upon  
bracelets and rings are of great        
variety4 ,ornaments for bridles1        
consisting of broad bands of silver1    
sufficient in size and number to almost 
entirely conceal the leather1 are not   
particularly handsome1 but are greatly  
in demand among the ,navajos and are    
extensively manufactured by them4       
,leather belts studded with large plates
 of silver are favorite articles of     
apparel1 and often contain metal to the 
value of forty or fifty dollars4 ,pl4   
,,xx represents an ,indian wearing such 
a belt1 in which only three of the      
plates are shown4 ,single and double    
crosses of silver are represented       

attached to his necklace4 ,the cross is 
much worn by the ,navajos1 among whom1  
,i understand1 it is not intended to    
represent the ,cross of ,christ1 but is 
a symbol of the morning star4 ,the      
lengthening of the lower limb1 however1 
is probably copied from the usual form  
of the ,christian emblem4 ,these savage 
smiths also display much ingenuity in   
working from models and from drawings of
 objects entirely new to them4  ,they   
are very wasteful of material4 ,they    
usually preserve the clippings and melt 
them in the crucible1 or use them in    
soldering2 but they make no attempt to  
save the metal carried off in filing1   
polishing1 and by oxidizing in the      
forge1 all of which is considerable4 ,in
 one article of silver1 for which1      
allowing for clippings saved1 #hcf      
grains were given to the smith1 and the 
work on which ,i watched so closely     
throughout that ,i am certain none of   
the material was stolen1 there was a    
loss of #abj grains1 or over #ad per    

cent4  ,the smiths whom ,i have seen    
working had no dividers1 square1        
measure1 or any instrument of precision4
 ,as before stated1 ,i have seen        
scissors used as compasses1 but as a    
rule they find approximate centers with 
the eye1 and cut all shapes and engrave 
all figures by the unaided guidance of  
this unreliable organ4 ,often they cut  
out their designs in paper first and    
from them mark off patterns on the      
metal4 ,even in the matter of cutting   
patterns they do not seem to know the   
simple device of doubling the paper in  
order to secure lateral uniformity4     
,here ends my description of the        
smithcraft of a rude but docile and     
progressive people4 ,i trust that it may
 serve not only to illustrate some      
aspects of their mental condition1 their
 inventive and imitative talents1 but   
possibly to shed some light on the      
condition and diffusion of the art of   
the metalist in the prehistoric days of 
our continent1 notwithstanding the fact 

that some elements of their craft are of
 recent introduction and others of      
doubtful origin4  ,illustration3 ,pl4   
,,xx4 ,,navajo ,,indian ,,with ,,silver 
,,ornaments4   ,,index4  ,almogen used  
by ,navajoes in blanching silver #age   
,articles made by ,navajo silversmiths  
#aga1 #agf ,bellows used by ,navajo     
silversmiths #agb ,blanching silver1    
,navajo method of #age ,blow-pipe of    
,navajo silversmiths #age ,charcoal1    
,navajo method of preparing #age        
,chasing silver1 ,navajo method of #agf 
,coin used by ,navajo silversmiths #agg 
,cross design associated with others    
in ,navajo silver ornamentation #agh    
,crucibles of ,navajo silversmiths #agc 
,fertility of design of ,navajo         
silversmiths #agg ,files used in        
engraving silver #agd ,forge of the     
,navajo silversmith #agb ,improvement of
 the silversmith's craft among the      
,navajoes #aga ,matthews1 ,dr4 ,w41     
,navajo silversmiths by1 #afg ,moulds   
used by ,navajo ,silversmiths #agc      

,silversmith's craft among the ,navajoes
 #aga ,polishing silver1 ,navajo method 
of #age ,processes of the ,navajo       
silversmith #aga1 #agf     2 blanching  
#age     2 chasing #agf     2 polishing 
#age     2 soldering #agf ,silversmith  
among the ,navajos and ,pueblos1 ,origin
 of #aga ,soldering silver1 ,navajo     
method of #agf ,tools used by ,navajo   
silversmith #agb     2 anvil #agc     2 
awl #agd     2 bellows #agb     2       
blow-pipe #age     2 cold-chisel #agd   
2 crucibles #agc     2 files #agd     2 
hammers #agd     inefficient #agh     2 
metallic hemispheres #agd     2 molds   
#agc     2 pliers #agd     2 scissors   
#agd1 #agh ,wastefulness of the ,navajo 
silversmith #agd1 #agh