SANTA FE, N.M. – Over 800 pieces of American Indian artifacts, art and related collectibles will come up for bid at Best of Santa Fe, the annual auction event hosted by Allard Auctions Inc. the weekend of Aug. 12-13. Absentee and Internet bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.
This year’s Best of Santa Fe is being held the week before Indian Market, giving collectors of American Indian items added incentive to be in town that weekend.
Two major collections are included in the auction. One is that of the longtime collector, hobbyist, Indian trader and feather artist Bob Wills from Dumont, N.J. The other headliner is an old collection of beadwork, baskets, corn husks, horse gear and other pieces, gathered in the Columbia River Basin in the 1950s and ’60s. All pieces are documented in the ledger of the original owner, Tommy Thompson, along with interesting notes and stories.
Also consigned are additional quality beadwork examples, a huge assortment of fine baskets, several high-end Navajo rugs/weavings, some rare old Pueblo pottery, “and the best group of Northwest Coast and Eskimo items it’s ever been our privilege to offer,” said Steve Allard of Allard Auctions.
A strong candidate for top lot of the auction is the early-to-mid-1900s Southern Plains war shirt (above), which has an estimate of $20,000-$40,000. The museum-quality beaded hide war shirt, with shoulder and arm strips, quilled human hair drops, ermine tail suspensions, yellow ochred edges with fine cut-in fringe and beautiful green ochred body is in very good condition.
Of all the Navajo rug/weavings up for bid, one stands out from the rest, as much for its size (133 inches by 92 inches) as its estimate ($15,000-$30,000). Made circa 1970s-1980s, the room-size Teec Nos Pos rug is done in a sturdy, extra fine weave and loaded with traditional and more contemporary figures and symbols. It too is in very good condition.
Other Navajo rugs will include a mid-1900s extra fine weave fancy Germantown revival wearing blanket, very colorful and with symmetrical designs and fringed edges, 53 inches by 40 inches (est. $10,000-$20,000); and a room-size fine weave storm pattern rug, executed circa 1970s/’80s in gorgeous earth tone colors, museum quality and in excellent condition (est. $7,500-$15,000).
Several goldtone photos by the renowned American photographer E.S. Curtis (1868-1952) will cross the auction block. One is an early 1900s original orotone photo titled The Old Well at Acoma, in the original frame and signed (est. $10,000-$20,000). Another is a glass orotone photo of Curtis’s famous Signal Fire to the Mountain Gods in the original frame (est. $8,000-$16,000).
Two very different lots have identical estimates of $5,000-$10,000. One is a mid-to-late 1800s Mohawk solid wood cradleboard with elaborately hand-carved and painted designs and crossed early Canadian flags, 28 inches in length. The other is a circa 1900s Zuni pottery water jar, rather large (12 inches by 14 inches) and very interesting with rare double deer figures and floral forms.
Start times are noon Mountain time on Saturday, Aug. 12, and 10 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 13. Register in advance for online bidding.
Allard Auctions Inc. has been selling exclusively American Indian artifacts and art at auction since 1968. For details phone 406-745-0500 or toll-free 888-314-0343; or email them info@allardauctions.com.
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