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Old Acoma olla with creative Native repair This is a 1930s olla.
Old Acoma olla with creative Native repair. This is a 1930s olla.
Once badly broken, a lady at Jemez repaired this in a most creative fashion. She used leather strips to reinforce the breaks and losses, left the leather with its original color around the rim of the olla (neatly complementing the red underbody of the pot) but she painted the leather in the design areas to match the original design. An unusual but effective fix and the pot is both attractive and interesting. 8” tall x just under 9” wide.
$325
Circa 1920s Navajo or Paiute Basket
A very old Navajo basket. This one is unusual as it was not made in the more common “wedding” ceremonial basket design. Someone called this “The Walking Sun” design. The basket measures between 10” x 11” across and about 2 ½” deep. Although faded, the patina is great and the basket still structurally sound, just a little dry.
$325
Circa 1890, this is a painted enamel on copper plaque by an Asian artist, based on the Baroque painting “The Swing” by Fraggonard. Note the pig-tailed gentleman in the lower right corner holding the rope, replacing the European man in the original painting. The plaque is in terrific condition for its age. It measures 8 ¾” x 4 ½”.
$625
Sterling & 14 kt gold overlay (not a light electroplate). Arland is known for his carefully detailed work and this piece is from his respected “Petroglyph” series and this is an unusually wide bracelet. Fully marked (and patterned) inside the bracelet.
This is a medium size and easily fits a 6 ½” wrist.
$795
An original oil painting of the Crucifixion, on canvas adhered to thick paper board. Beautifully painted, the artist was professional. I can’t quite make out the name but the signature includes the Italian region’s name “Gazizia.” The painting measures 27 ¼” x 17 ½.”.
$550
Tohono O odham (Papago) basket
A small, well-woven tourist basket made by the Tohono O odham. The figure woven in is either an owl or a bat – either is an anomaly in Native American representation as both are night creatures and were not easily or commonly depicted. 4” in diameter and is in excellent condition.
$76
1930s or 1940s Acoma olla
Simple, geometric and striking unsigned Acoma olla. Part of its charm, this has the slightly crooked shape of a hand-coiled pot. Typical of old Acoma pieces, the finish has “pops” in the slip on the surface. It measures approximately 8 ½” in both height and diameter.
$650
Circa 1900, perhaps made as a memento of graduation. If you look closely, in each photo, the girl is wearing man’s clothing and the man is wearing old-fashioned women’s clothing. The logos were all carefully cut out and are from hotels, ships, cities and countries – maybe expressing a wish to travel. 8” x 18 ¼” framed.
$125
19th century Silver Cigarrito
19th century Silver Cigarrito
An early 19th century repousse silver cigarette or small cigar box. I believe this to be from Mexico as I did find an article in an old Artes magazine that featured a gold “cigarrito” box, similar in every respect except in gold. The repousse decoration is naïve, detailed and charming. The box has a very old mark that shows a lion and what looks like “DENART, 925.”
$625
Vintage Mexican amethyst key ring
The larger side is one of the Aztec themed carved faces. The pointed amethyst tip unscrews to allow keys to be added or removed. In good used condition.
$55
Arts & Crafts Niloak vase
The vase is unsigned but probably Niloak. 6” tall x just under 4 ½” across the top. In very good antique condition.
$75
Luster transfer ware platter by Brownfield & Sons
A gorgeous ivory ware platter with orange luster accents. This is “Cyprus” by Brownfield & Sons, England. This is Arts & Crafts period, between 1870 and the mid 1890s. 14 1/8” x 17 3/8,” in excellent condition.
$225
Early 19th century Bolivian coca pouch
This is a ch’uspa (in the Aymara language). This pouch woven of alpaca and vicuna fibers, made to hold coca leaves and other important items. A wonderful textile, the colors are natural, the warm brown is vicuna, the red is cochineal and the dark blue, indigo. The tufts at the opening are symbolic “ears” – a reference to the camelids that clothed and fed the Andean community that produced this piece. Even at nearly 200 years old, the cloth is still pliable and soft to the touch. A lovely historic piece. 8” x 9” at the bottom, 7 ½” at the “ears.”
$195
19th century faux grain chest
We don’t see many faux grain painted blanket chests in the Southwest but this one showed up. The apparent drawers are blind – the lid lifts to reveal the main compartment and a small cubby with a lid mounted inside. The chest has old transfers (nautical on the lid and floral on the “drawers”). There is old bug damage to the feet and the lower section but no live bugs now and it is sturdy and useable. 34 1/2” x 50 x 25 ½”
$575
Austro-Hungarian silver & turquoise snake brooch
A wonderful Revival piece, a snake coiled into a figure 8 with a tail curl, hand-tooled to create his scales, holding a pendant with four small turquoise stones in his mouth. Old “C” hook clasp. I don’t know if the pendant is original to the brooch but it fits. Unmarked but I’ll guarantee this to be .800 silver or better. Tail to drop, just under 1 ¾,” just over 1 ½” wide. He’s great!
$195
Old Sacred Heart medal
An old copper and/or brass medal from Mexico. It reads “NE Aqui El Corazon Que Ha Tanto Amado A Los Hombres.”
The other side reads “Dulce Corazon de Jesus A Quien Yo Espero Amar Toda La Vida.”
1 3/8” in diameter. Even with the corrosion, a lovely, used piece.
$85
Indian Lore by E. Wendell Lamb & Lawrence W Shultz, signed by 15 Native Americans.
Published in 1964 in Winona lake, Indiana, written for teachers to use to for “…the teaching of Indiana history.” From the preface, “It is the hope of the authors that this volume will find a place in many homes, in libraries, both school and public, and be used in social study classes in junior and senior high schools. Children in the lower grades also will be interested in the many illustrations. We hope it will appeal to adults as well.”
First edition after the original limited edition, red cloth boards, originally gold lettering, and dust jacket. The jacket is in poor condition and the book only fair with toning from the jacket on the facing pages and deterioration of the gold lettering. Interior pages are clean and spine is strong. There is an adhered bookplate and previous owner’s name written in ink on the inside front cover.
Native Americans who signed the book include (sorry, I can’t read all the names):
Chief Mon-Gon-Zah
Sub Chief Long Bow
Chief Calvin W. McGhee
Chief Yellow Thunder
Az-Roc-Sin Quah (Prairie Fire)
Golden Dawn
Whirling Son
D.J. Courchene, Sioux
Chief M. A (illegible) Virgil, Hopi Chief
Julius McGhee, Creek
John Hyland, Cherokee
Sam Gray Wolf, Cayuse & Delaware
$275
