Evening everyone, a friend has a bear pendant with the hallmark MJ
It was sold to them as Murray Jackson, but checking through the Hougart book, it’s nothing like the hallmark, I worried they might have been hit by an import?
As no MJ hallmarks resembles the hallmark
Cheers
a similar pendant found out on the net has USA added under sterling
Murray Jackson is known for overlay work according to Hougarts
the 2nd conjoined MJ mark and the SOURCE of the PROBLEM is found on art-amerindian
nobody notices the “?” which means art-amerindian is just guessing at the 2nd attribution
That “stone” may not be a stone.
I had a similar looking one in a Mexican knockoff earring. A hot pin test confirmed resin.
found a legit Murray Jackson piece with a hallmark and style that reflects Hougart’s reference
overlay
M conjoined over J sometimes with HOPICRAFTS mark
There’s that, and the fact the closeup shot of the back of the piece shows irregularities typical of of machine casting, rather than displaying a surface area and tool/anvil marks typical of hand fabrication with milled sheet, as with the referenced bolo tie.
Yeah I saw that, so everyone is know selling them as Murray Jackson when it’s not
I didn’t realize he is a Hopi (?? It’s a bit confusing) artist (hadn’t looked it up), so yes, that bear is most definitely not a Hopi piece. This is what is in my Hopi hallmark book. However, I find it interesting because Walapai is an area in western Arizona between Kingman and the Hualapai Reservation, and yet he’s listed also as being from Oraibi which is on Third Mesa. Brown’s Trading, a pretty dang good resource, states that he is from Oraibi and trained at the guild, but that was just me going down a rabbit trail; I might have to do some researching a bit later about the Walapai tribe, but sorry, I digressed.
So anyway, not the maker of the bear…
It is so frustrating, isn’t it? Sellers would only have to do a little research like you’re doing to find out these things are being misattributed.
Honestly, it doesn’t take 5 min, but if certain sites are telling people that, they grab that and run with it, or if gets sold one, the person buying is just trusting the seller and so on!
Personally I love doing the research and trying to find out as much as I can!
I love doing the research, if not more than the hunt. First step before I buy!
