SKINNER HOSTS AUCTION OF AMERICAN INDIAN & Skinner, Inc., one of the nation’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, will host an auction of American Indian and Ethnographic Art on Saturday, May 10th at 10:00 a.m. in its Boston gall
News-Antique.com - Apr 23,2008 - Skinner, Inc., one of the nation’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, will host an auction of American Indian and Ethnographic Art on Saturday, May 10th at 10:00 a.m. in its Boston gallery. According to Douglas Deihl, director of Skinner’s American Indian and Ethnographic Art department, “This is one of the best quality American Indian and Ethnographic sales Skinner has ever had.”
American Indian
From the Plains and Great Lakes area comes a number of beautiful beadworks, including moccasins, bandolier and pipe bags. In total, 150 plus lots will be offered from the region including a Plains pictorial muslin tepee liner (lot 295, est. $30/40,000), depicting a warrior’s exploits. Also featured from the Plains is a collection from Mordecai Thomas Bartram, a Quaker employed at the Great Nemaha Agency from 1871 -1873 who was in charge of the government store among Indians in Nohart, Nebraska. Bartram’s collection descended within his family and includes a prairie painted parfleche trunk (lot 256, est. $20/30,000); a carved elk horn quirt (lot 257, est. $20/30,000); a beaded buffalo hide possible bag (lot 258, est. $25/35,000); and a carved elk horn hide scraper (lot 259, est. $40/60,000).
Lots of interest from the Great Lakes include an early beaded cloth shot pouch and powder horn set from the first quarter of the 19th century (lot 335, est. $15/25,000); silk appliqué beaded cloth leggings and pony beaded sash (lot 336, est. $10/15,000); and a Southeast beaded cloth bandolier bag from the Seminole tribe (lot 337, est. $8/12,000). Also being offered is an exceptional group of sashes, many from the late 18th to early 19th centuries (lots 322-332, estimates ranging from $600 on the low end to $20,000 on the high).
From the Northwest Coast area, highlights of note include a rare carved stone mortar (lot 345, est. $5/7,000); a carved wood totem pole (lot 348, est. $6/8,000); a canoe-shaped carved wood bowl (lot 363, est. $8/12,000); a pair of painted hide leggings (lot 369, est. $5/7,000); a Kwakwaka’wakw carved wood mask (lot 372, est. $10/15,000); a unique pair of Southern Northwest Coast carved wood dolls depicting two infants strapped into cradles (lot 375, est. $3/5,000); a very nice rattle (lot 376, est. $15/20,000); and a number of carved horn spoons, the most exceptional being a ladle carved in two pieces (lot 362, est. $6/8,000).
Several stunning pieces of Navajo jewelry will be offered including a number of Southwest silver and turquoise bracelets (lot 389-392, estimates ranging from $1,000 on the low end to 2,500 at the high end); also a number of Concha belts (including lots 406 and 407, est. $6,5/7,500 and $5/7,000 respectively), the highlight being a first phase Concha belt circa 1870 (lot 411, est. $8/12,000). In addition, many nice squash blossom necklaces will be offered.
From the Southwest comes two New Mexican retablos, both depicting the Virgin Mary: the first possibly by Jose Rafael Aragon (lot 432, est. $6/8,000) and another possibly by The Quill Pen Santero (lot 433, est. $3/4,000).
