Birth of the ArtBonnet
A sudden encounter at a tavern, during a game of pool, I was offered to purchase a vintage basket case Indian Chief motorcycle. Declined to buy the bike because the Iconic Warbonnet was missing… A few weeks later, it dawned on me that I could actually make my own Warbonnet, in my own defined style and on my own terms.
Hence, by then, the Chief was gone… but the ArtBonnet had come into fruition. Decades later; I am still creating them on my own terms.
You get to dictate what your definition of a WarBonnet is: defining your personality and your statement of design to the rest of the world by ordering your own custom designed ArtBonnet directly from the artist.
My Story
Jaymus Perry; a Navajo Tribal member, is the founder of JP Design LLC, which specializes in custom designed motorcycle ornaments. Mr. Perry designed and created the ArtBonnet, inspired by the Plains Indian warbonnet design, originally found on the Indian Motorcycle, a brand of motorcycles originally produced from 1901 to 1953. Today his handcrafted work can be found around the world on the motorcycles of bike aficionados.
But creating the art is more than just business for Perry.
He appreciates individuals/businesses that are willing to pay for his art but he bridges the warbonnet design as an educational tool as well. He teaches his customers about the meaning of the Native American headdresses and how it’s earned.; feather by feather, bead by bead... using Cultural knowledge of the Plains Tribes about the significance of the symbol they are preserving for future generations. By using Instagram and the internet, Perry has grown his customer base from the United States to Taiwan, Australia, Canada and now, the European Market...
Links about Jaymus
I grew up in the largest Caldera in the United States on the Navajo Indian Reservation. Surrounded by the timeless landscape of the Navajo People.
​
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/05/fashion/gems-mines-united-states.html
​
https://www.nativestartup.org/changemakers/jaymusperry
​
​
https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/story-of-stones/
​
Featured
#Change Maker | Change Labs
A missed opportunity led a Navajo artist to find his passion and his career
​
Perry casts his designs one by one which can be a tedious process, but that’s what makes his work special. Every design he makes is one of a kind. He works in a medium known as lost wax casting, an art form from the Babylonian era. Back then, they would cast by carving out designs in honeycomb wax, Perry said. He picked up the medium after taking casting class and from there his passion for the process grew and inspired his artwork...
​
Gems Made in the U.S.A | The New York Times
While the country isn't the same league as global producers, a large variety of beautiful stones are found within its borders.
​
In the 1970s, when Jaymus Perry, was growing up on the Navajo Nation reservation near Buell Park, Ariz., he and his siblings used to fill coffee cans with the raw peridots and chrome pyrope garnets that they found and sold the gems to local trading posts for spending money...
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting design opportunities. Reach out & let's connect...
970-422-2490