Mary Tom

MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE:
Mary Tom, Navajo, was born in Winslow, Arizona to the Water’s Edge Clan for the Black-Streaked Wood Clan. She resides and maintains her work studio on her homeland in Chimney Butte, Arizona which is located on the Navajo reservation. In 1971 Mary Begay and Jack Tom were married. Mary started making jewelry by fabricating the beads that display Jack’s pendants. She and Jack worked together for many years, and she also creates her own unique silverwork. The pieces they created together are often signed by only one of them, typically Jack, as two signatures meant they would have needed two booths at any shows they entered. Their metal work often has a sandblasted finish that compliments the mirror finish of the silver overlay.