Sotheby’s Sale of American Indian Art to be held May 20, 2009 Sale will feature works from The Collection of Frieda and Milton Rosenthal as well as several Important Private American Collections
sale. This copy, estimated $80/120,000, post-dates The Smithsonian fire of 1865 where unfortunately most of the original paintings were destroyed. Thomas Mckenney, the first director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and James Hall, an Illinois lawyer and journalist, saw their work as a means of preserving an accurate record of a rapidly disappearing culture.
The spring auction will also include important Northwest Coast works from the Collection of Morton and Estelle Sosland of Kansas City, sold to benefit the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, which Morton Sosland helped to create in 1978. In just 30 years, the Community Foundation has partnered with an estimated 20,000 individuals to grant more than $1 billion to the community; has more than $1 billion in assets; and is recognized as a national leader in making sure every philanthropic investment returns the greatest emotional, civic and financial benefit possible. Among the works to be offered from the Sosland Collection is a Tsimshian Polychromed Wood Crest Headdress (pictured pg. 1, est. $175/225,000). While some clan hats are made of woven materials and display only certain features of an animal, the Sosland Headdress is carved from wood in the
form of a whole bear poised on top of the wearer’s head. Based on specific carving and paint features such as a lack of two-dimensional design work and the blue pigment used, this work can be attributed to the Tsimshian people of the Pacific Northwest Coast and dated to the middle of the 19th Century.
A Large Kwakiutl Polychromed Wood Sun Mask will also be included (est. $150/250,000). The mask is carved in the form of a sun surrounding a face with a curved, birdlike beak. It is in the style of Charlie James, an esteemed turn-of-the-century carver who is perhaps best known today for his totem poles and houseposts. Two 1914 houseposts by James are installed in Vancouver’s Stanley Park and have, though repeated use and exposure through tourism marketing and advertising, become the quintessential image of Northwest Coast totem poles. Frieda and Milton Rosenthal were accomplished collectors in many categories including African and Oceanic Art – which brought record prices at Sotheby’s in the fall of 2008 –and Japanese and Chinese Works of Art. Their collection of American Indian Art is broad and highlights include rare examples of artwork from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia and the Southwest United States, including a Tlingit Polychromed Wood Comb (est. $60/80,000). The masterful carving lavished on this piece reflects the care and imagination invested by Native artisans in all things, even the most ordinary of items, and their belief that beauty knew no bounds. Shaman's wore combs during curing ceremonies, as well as when they were not practicing, and decorated them with both spirit helpers and crest emblems. In this superb example, the comb prominently features a beaver. A Large Western Apache Coiled Polychrome Pictorial Olla will also be included from the same collection (est. $50/70,000). Apache women stopped production of large coiled ollas shortly after the
