Native American artists enliven John Moran Art of the American West sale, June 6
Osuitok Ipeelee, ‘Tauvinik, (a ‘qallupilluit’ ghost figure),’ estimated at $4,000-$6,000
LOS ANGELES — John Moran Auctioneers will present its Art of the American West sale Tuesday, June 6, starting at noon Pacific time. The auction will consist of more than 250 lots and will feature an exciting and robust offering of fine art for a wide range of collecting aesthetics from historic to contemporary. There will be 60 lots of traditional and contemporary Navajo and Pueblo silver jewelry. Western interiors can be accented and refreshed by Navajo blankets, Pueblo pottery, and a variety of Inuit figures. Furnishings from the American Arts & Crafts movement are represented by leaded glass lamps, a pair of Samuel Yellin table scones, and Stickley Brothers copper. This sale will also present a capsule collection from Rex Chase, a healthcare executive from Berkley, California. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Appearing in the fine art selection in the sale are works by Grace Carpenter Hudson, Laverne Nelson Black and Oscar Howe. Estimated at $15,000-$20,000, A Pomo girl looking up at a flock of birds, painted in 1923 by Grace Carpenter Hudson (1865-1937), depicts classic childhood distractions while attempting chores. Hudson was well-known for her numbered series of more than 684 portraits of the local Pomo natives. Laverne Nelson Black (1887-1938) will be represented by his work Native Americans on Horseback, which is estimated at $15,000-$20,000.
Grace Carpenter Hudson, ‘A Pomo girl looking up at a flock of birds,’ estimated at $15,000-$20,000
Oscar Howe (1915-1983) was a renowned Native American artist who is best known for his innovative and expressive depictions of traditional Dakota culture and mythology. Born on the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota, Howe grew up immersed in his heritage and was deeply influenced by the rich visual traditions of his people. This auction will feature two of his works, one being the 1966 piece Koda, Nape Ciuza (Friend, I Shake Your Hand), estimated at $12,000-$18,000.
Oscar Howe, ‘Koda, Nape Ciuza (Friend, I Shake Your Hand),’ estimated at $12,000-$18,000
An incredible collection of Navajo textiles will be offered, many coming from the Rex Chase capsule collection. Examples span Late Classic to contemporary, including a Late Classic Moki blanket, estimated at $10,000-$15,000; a Navajo Late Classic child’s blanket, estimated at $5,000-$7,000; and a late 19th-century Navajo pictorial blanket depicting running horses standing among mountains with a stylized train running through the center, estimated at $6,000-$8,000.
Late Classic Moki blanket, Dine (Navajo), estimated at $7,000-$9,000
For sculpture, one of the highlights is Allan Houser’s Mother and Child from 1989, with a $6,000-$8,000 estimate. The abstract figurative bronze is an elegant representation of this relationship, and it changes with the viewing direction.
Sioux Beaded doctor’s bag, estimated at $3,000-$5,000
Collectors are sure to take notice of the more than 45 lots of Inuit art. Noteworthy artists include Aqjangajuk Shaa, Joseph Shuqslak, Tudlik, Kenojuak Ashevak and Osuitok Ipeelee with his circa-1992 piece Tauvinik (a “qallupilluit” ghost figure), estimated at $4,000-$6,000. In Inuit mythology, the Qallupilluit (aka Qalupalik) are creatures akin to the boogeyman that live along Arctic shorelines near ice floes. They are said to steal children that wander too close to the water, so this myth served as a cautionary tale to keep children from approaching danger.
Southwest-style Buffalo Indian Head nickel squash blossom necklace, estimated at $3,000-$5,000
Other standout pieces include a Haida raven rattle, estimated at $4,000-$6,000; a Sioux beaded doctor’s bag, estimated at $3,000-$5,000, and a Buffalo Indian Head nickle squash blossom necklace, estimated at $3,000-$5,000.
Mark Tahbo polychrome seed pot, estimated at $1,000-$1,500
There will also be American Indian pottery from Tony Da, Helen Baca Shupla and Mark Tahbo (1958-2017) with his polychrome seed pot, estimated at $1,000-$1,500.
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