Oppi A. J. Untracht (November 17, 1922 – July 5, 2008) was an American master metalsmith,[1] educator, and writer.

Oppi Untracht with his wife Saara Hopea in 1960.

Biography

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Born in New York City, Untracht obtained his Master of Fine Arts at Columbia University in 1947. Originally trained as a photographer,[2] he studied Indian arts and crafts and later became an expert on the jewelry of India[3] and Nepal. In addition to being an honorary member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, in 2000 Untracht was awarded a Lifetime American Achievement Award on behalf of the American Craft Council.[4] His first book, Metal Techniques for Craftsmen is considered a standard training textbook for silversmiths.

Untracht married Finnish designer Saara Hopea, and moved permanently to Finland in 1967. Untracht died in Porvoo in 2008.[5]

Bibliography

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  • Metal Techniques for Craftsmen (1968). ISBN 0-7091-0723-4
  • Jewelry Concepts and Technology[1] (1982). ISBN 0-385-04185-3
  • Saara Hopea Untracht: Elämä ja työ — Life and Work (1988). ISBN 951-0-14377-4
  • Traditional Jewelry of India (1997). ISBN 0-500-28749-X

References

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  1. ^ a b Malarcher, Patricia (February 14, 1988). "Focus on Current Directions in Jewelry". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  2. ^ Deitz, Paula (November 29, 1998). "Clusters of Treasures To Clothe the Soul". New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  3. ^ Andre, Mila (February 1, 1999). "Indian Jewels Go From Head To Toe". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  4. ^ "In memoriam: Writer Oppi Untracht". The American Council for Southern Asian Art. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  5. ^ Obituary: Oppi Untracht (in Finnish) Helsingin Sanomat, 5 July, 2008.