PANCHO VILLA SADDLE EXPECTED TO FETCH QUARTER MILLION Mesa, Arizona — Pancho Villa, infamous renegade, Robin Hood, revolutionary and hero of the Mexican people, was assassinated almost 100 years ago after a short but highly contentious yet ultimately cel
News-Antique.com - Sep 23,2011 - HISTORIC PANCHO VILLA SADDLE EXPECTED TO BRING QUARTER MILLION AT AUCTION!
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Mesa, Arizona — Pancho Villa, infamous renegade, Robin Hood, revolutionary and hero of the Mexican people, was assassinated almost 100 years ago after a short but highly contentious yet ultimately celebrated life. A life celebrated numerous times on the silver screen, in museums and institutions around the world and a name honored on street signs and plazas throughout the Americas. What remains today of this complex and mysterious man are the facts and folklore, and his final magnificent silver threaded saddle. A saddle that will captivate collectors and historians alike when it finally comes to public auction on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the High Noon Western Americana auction in Mesa, Arizona. Historic, romantic, important — this final artifact of his life is estimated to bring $150,000 to $250,000.
The provenance of this saddle matches the richness of Villa’s life. Given by Villa’s widow and only legal wife (reportedly he had eight) to famed Hollywood director Howard Hawks during the filming of Viva Villa, she presented this glorious saddle to him as a gift as she felt the film truly extolled the Mexican Revolution and the man she knew — Villa himself. For the past 20 years, Villa’s saddle has been on display both the Witte Museum in San Antonio, TX and the South Texas History Museum in Edinburg, TX.
The saddle, in excellent condition, is smothered in silver-wrapped threads and boldly-domed silver conchos. Made and marked by expert craftsmen, it has Francisco (nickname: Pancho) Villa’s initials in high relief on the stirrups. Thematically it has a 3-dimensional silver snakehead and a carved diablo in the leather under the grand saddlebags. Joseph Sherwood of High Noon says, “This is the trifecta for saddles: beautiful, in great condition and historically significant.”
Linda Kohn Sherwood of High Noon says, “Pancho Villa was both a charismatic hero and cruel outlaw.” He survived countless battles and assassinations of 3 strong Mexican revolutionary leaders (Madero, Zapata and Carranza) and the stories of his life helped define the spirit of his country’s struggle for freedom. His place in history is a paradox: a revolutionary idealist who believed firmly in public education, health and good government, and a vicious, mean-spirited, cruel revolutionary who would do anything to win.
The saddle’s colorful history also blends with Hollywood mystique. Pancho Villa has been played by over 35 actors since 1919 including Telly Savalas and Antonio Banderas. The most recent rumor is that Johnny Depp may take the roll next! His legend is a mosaic of folklore and fact, including stories of his treasures said to be buried somewhere in the Mexican desert.
The 22nd Annual High Noon Western Americana Weekend Event will be held January 28 and 29, 2012 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, AZ.
The important High Noon Western Americana Auction will begin at 5pm Saturday, January 28th, when the final Pancho Villa saddle as well as over 300 lots of important Western Americana
