I acquired this charm bracelet from a friends estate. She was quite fond of the bracelet.
I contacted Richard Harold Lujan (Pueblo?) to verify it was his since this was the first NA charm bracelet of its kind I have seen. Harold was kind enough to respond back. His ex-wife Laurie Wren fabricated the bracelet (likely with his help) using fossil walrus tusk, bone, pearl, and sterling pieces from their own designs. His stamp appears on the back of the sterling pieces. Only the chain bracelet itself was not made by them. He said it was a one-of-a-kind Lujan, but then again, aren’t they all?
NOTE: I have seen his work described as “Pueblo” on numerous pieces. Recent posts by those knowledgeable (more than me) question the NA connection and Mr. Lujan does not describe himself as NA on his website. Looks like I have been misled by misrepresented descriptions. I am beginning to understand Ziacat’s concerns more.
It’s an interesting piece, but not NA. That’s why it seems so different: it isn’t related. He I think rightly characterizes his work, which is individual artisan production, as “Mountain Southwest.” Visually, this bracelet in the vein of 1980s boho jewelry styling, like the work of Tabra Tunoa.
https://www.haroldlujanjewelry.com/about-1
“The style of my jewelry has been developed over many years, but I’d largely classify it as contemporary and classic Mountain Southwest.”
Yes, I’m wondering where you got the information that he’s Pueblo? I wasn’t previously familiar with him, but I agree with @chicfarmer that there’s nothing in the style of this bracelet or his bio/website that suggests Native American. It’s a pretty bracelet in any case, enjoy it!
I wouldn’t say fake, since you contacted the artist and he confirmed it was his work.
There are many artists that do Southwest style jewelry. Some are rather well known.
I consider items fake if it is made or sold to deceive. Represented as Native made when not.
Your bracelet is very nice and having documentation from the artist adds to the charm of it.
You know, I’m wondering if the seller could have looked at something like this on the Amerindien Hallmark site, saw the name and just assumed that your piece was Pueblo since the last name is the same. I feel like that happens a lot.
I like this website, but I don’t believe it is 100% correct. I have a Hopi piece by an artist named Dawn Lucas, and this site has her as an Anglo with a question mark, when I know for a fact she is not (unless there are two). She’s also in my Hopi Silversmithing book, and I bought her ring from a very legitimate museum store.
Yes, I bet the seller looked up the hallmark on that website and that’s why they represented it as Pueblo. If I had to guess, it was probably an honest mistake. That being said, I think the Amerindian website has a lot of mistakes, and I hate that so many people seem to rely so heavily on it without doing further research.
In the early 20th century there was a Native of Taos Pueblo named Tony Luhan who married Mabel Dodge Luhan; perhaps the makers of the website assumed Harold was from Taos because of the similar surname? Or perhaps there actually is a connection that I’m not aware of, but normally the bio of a NA artist will identify them as such, and the bracelet strikes me as Southwest style rather than NA.
Right, I’m familiar with Mabel Dodge Luhan; that’s partly what made me look at the website. And yes, I use the site with caution. I could not find the Luhan Hallmark on the Medicine Man site.
I find the site is a good starting place for me since the only book I have with hallmarks is on Hopi silversmithing. And even that was published in the mid 90’s, I believe.
I’m a skeptic so I don’t use eBay and Etsy for confirmation. I tend to look on sites that I know are legitimate. I feel like eBay and Etsy have too many wrongly identified pieces.
No worries! I think I was kind of more explaining myself for people on the forum who are new to Native American jewelry and use that website. Just suggesting it be used, like you said, with caution. One of these days maybe I’ll fork out the $ and get one of the big hardback books. I have a number of nice books about turquoise, but they don’t have hallmarks. I see the really good ones at the Eiteljorg, and keep thinking I’ll buy one, and then end up spending it on jewelry instead. Imagine that
But I have learned so much from so many of you on here, and I respect all of you!
I need 20 characters…