Our Native American Art auction on 28 June in Los Angeles features an impressive selection of jewelry, pottery, weaving and more.

Here, our Director of Native American Art, Ingmars Lindbergs, shares some of his favorite lots coming under the hammer.

Lot 11

An exceptionally large Zuni squash blossom necklace

This over-the-top necklace is a tour de force of 1930s indigenous Southwestern jewelry craftsmanship, an adornment that is surprisingly delicate in form despite the grand scale in execution. While 19th century Diné (Navajo) and Pueblo squash blossom necklaces were typically minimalist in their design and austere in the use of turquoise and similar materials (to compare, see lot 1), the growing market for Native American jewelry in the first half of the 20th century prompted craftsmen to evolve beyond the traditional styles. 

Incorporating a luminous selection of fine turquoise stones in a grandiose setting, this necklace bears the mark of the CG Wallace Trading Post in Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico. At once legendary and infamous, Wallace was one of the primary advocates for the development of Native Southwestern arts and crafts in the first decades of the 20th century, and it was the three-day auction of his personal collection in 1975 that began to elevate these pioneering artisans towards the respect that they so richly deserved. Coming from the famed collection of Erving and Joyce Wolf, this lot reflects their keen and eye and understanding of a uniquely American art form.

Lot 87

A New Mexican bulto of the crucified Christ, José Rafael Aragón or one of his circle (attributed)

From a Denver, Colorado collection, we see perhaps the largest selection of Hispanic New Mexican (Nuevomexicano) religious artwork to come to the market in at least a generation. Judiciously assembled over half a century, this private collection includes representative examples of work by some of the preeminent 19th century itinerant artisans of the region, spanning the Mexican period (1821-1848) and into the American Territorial period (1850-1911).

Comprising over 50 bultos, santos, retablos and Cristos, of particular note is this large Christ on the Cross attributed to José Rafael Aragón (1796–1862) or one of his circle. Measuring over five feet in length, this crucifix formerly belonged to the distinguished collector and scholar Lawrence P. Frank; the renowned Larry and Alyce Frank Collection of Nuevomexicano religious objects at the New Mexico History Museum being one of the most well-known and popular collections housed at that institution. Executed with the characteristic vivid interpretation of stoically endured suffering, the work is a devout testimonial to faith and piety.

Lot 180

A Northwest Coast Chilkat blanket

Chilkat blankets are highly-prized prestige objects worn over the shoulder by men and women during dances and ceremonies on the Pacific Northwest Coast, with designs spun in mountain goat wool on a spruce root foundation. The imagery represented the crest of the owner, with this particular blanket an atypical example representing either a killer whale or a mythical sea creature. This lot was one of the very first examples of indigenous Northwest Coast material culture acquired by Gene K. Zema, a famed Seattle-area architect known for his mid-century modern aesthetic that drew inspiration from traditional Pacific Northwest Coast and Japanese craftsmanship. Each of the items in his collection is accompanied by a meticulously drafted notecard with an illustration of the object along with observational notes and the collection history. 

Lot 283

An Anna Hughes Panamint pictorial basket

Not much is known about the weaver known as Anna Hughes, who is identified as a member of the Timbisha, or Panamint Shoshone, a small group of indigenous people traditionally residing in the Death Valley region. What is known is that she was a master of her craft, an extremely accomplished basket weaver as evidenced by the very fine execution of this pictorial basket.

While Panamint basketry is well-known for the unique pictorial representations of animals, birds and people, Hughes’ distinctive style and iconography stands out. A photograph of the maker holding her creation, one of several images in a small photobook original to the work, accompanies the lot.

Lot 316

A Cáuigú/Ka'igwu (Kiowa) young girl’s beaded dress and hightop moccasins

This very fine example of early 20th century Kiowa artistry consists of a traditionally constructed dress decorated with fine beadwork and rows of rare cowrie shells in lieu of elk’s teeth, and a matching pair of hightop moccasins similarly beaded and with brass button accents.

From the collection of Patricia M. Papper in Aspen, Colorado, whose family had deep roots in the American West, this outstanding ensemble would have been worn by a young girl on special occasions; the petite size suggests it may have been worn only a few times before it was outgrown, and it remains in excellent condition.

Register to bid in Native American Art before 28 June, or reach out to ingmars.lindbergs@bonhams.com or inquiries.

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