Navajo Silver Souvenir Spoon ca. 1890s–1910s + Book “Navajo Spoons” (Auction 2026-05-15, Lot 188)
Sold
Native American, Navajo, Southwestern United States, ca. 1890s to 1910s CE; “Navajo Spoons: Indian Artistry and the Souvenir Trade, 1880-1940” by Cindra Kline (Santa Fe, NM: Museum of New Mexico Press, 2001), 128 pp. A compelling paired lot, this offering unites a hand-crafted Navajo silver spoon with the reference volume in which it is published, Cindra Kline’s “Navajo Spoons: Indian Artistry and the Souvenir Trade, 1880s-1940s” (Santa Fe, Museum of New Mexico Press, 2001). The spoon itself, illustrated on the cover of the book, reflects the ingenuity and adaptability of Dine silversmiths during the height of the Southwestern tourist trade, while the accompanying publication provides valuable scholarly context for its form and significance. Size of book: 8.1″ W x 9″ H (20.6 cm x 22.9 cm); of spoon: 4.2″ L x 0.9″ W (10.7 cm x 2.3 cm); silver quality: 91.2%; weight: 10.4 grams
Likely formed from melted or hammered silver coinage, the spoon exhibits a classic tapering handle and rounded bowl, both adorned with hand-stamped motifs including arrow designs and linear ornament. The surface bears the subtle irregularities of hand forging, a testament to its creation through traditional techniques rather than industrial manufacture.
Produced during the Fred Harvey era, when rail travel brought waves of Victorian tourists into the American Southwest, such spoons were created specifically for a growing market eager to acquire objects that embodied an idealized vision of Native American life. As Kline notes, the rise of tourism directly shaped Navajo silverwork, with artisans incorporating motifs that appealed to outside buyers rather than strictly reflecting traditional symbolism. These spoons were often displayed alongside textiles and other goods, bridging the line between functional object and souvenir.
Publication: This spoon has been published on the cover of “Navajo Spoons: Indian Artistry and the Souvenir Trade, 1880-1940” by Cindra Kline (Santa Fe, NM: Museum of New Mexico Press, 2001).
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection
Good. Book is pristine and brand new; still in original plastic shrink wrap. Some light surface wear to spoon, but, otherwise, intact and in excellent condition.