Patania, Frank Sr.

(Sicilian, 1899-1964). One of only two non-native jewelers TMT regularly carries (along with Eveli Sabatie,) and a seminal figure in the silverwork of the Southwest. He came to Santa Fe in 1924, and eventually opened stores in Santa Fe and Tucson that both employed Native silversmiths. He was a teacher and mentor to an entire generation of Indian silversmiths, including Lewis Lomay and Julian Lovato--all of whom carried his melding of European techniques and designs with Southwestern forms and materials in new and innovative directions.