Navajo Silversmiths / Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1880-1881, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1883, pages 167-178

The study examines Navajo silversmithing, considering possible origins of metalwork and noting that artisans mostly produce silver ornaments while sometimes working iron and brass. It provides detailed descriptions of portable forges, goatskin bellows, anvils, crucibles, molds, and the simple hand tools used, and explains shaping, soldering, polishing, and whitening techniques. It contrasts Navajo and Pueblo workshop arrangements, lists commonly made and rarer pieces such as buttons, bracelets, beads, tobacco cases, and bridle ornaments, and highlights craftsmen’s resourcefulness, the limited durability of locally made crucibles, and recent quality improvements linked to finer imported tools and abrasives.