The largest kachina in this group is lot no. 153, a Hopi carved wood hemis kachina by White Bear Fredericks, 19 1/2 inches. Estimate: $500-$700. Skinner Inc. image.
LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding. The 420-lot auction will begin at noon EDT.
Complementing the pre-Columbian textiles on offer is a pre-Columbian Chancay multicolored fringed carrying bag decorated with vertical stripes and an abstract lizard design (lot 17, estimated between $500 and $700). An excellent assortment of tribal material is highlighted by a Shipibo pottery jar depicting a human face (lot 27, $300 to $500) and a Yoruba carved wood Gelede Society mask (lot 36, $250 to $350).
A collection of affordable Eskimo and Northwest Coast material from the famous Bear Totem Store will be on offer, including three carved wood totem poles (lot 262, $600 to $800). Walter Waters opened the Bear Totem Store after arriving in Alaska during the gold rush in 1898. During his travels, he established many contacts with Indian artists from whom he purchased material for his personal collection and later his store.
The Pueblo tribes made kachina dolls to teach young people their pantheon of gods. The September sale features dolls dating from the 1940s through the 1980s. Highlights include a polychrome carved wood kachina (lot 130, $200 to $250), four Hopi carved wood kachinas (lot 144, $400 to $600), and a Hopi carved wood Hemis Kachina by White Bear Fredericks (lot 153, $500 to $700).
Many fine Navajo and Pueblo textiles will be offered. Pieces of note include a traditional Navajo two-piece dress with variegated brown center and various shades of red and indigo (lot 289, $1,500 to $2,000) and a San Felipe buffalo dance shirt with beaded bag (lot 161, $600 to $800). A collection of 68 miniature pictorial textiles (lot 318, $1,000 to $1,500) is also on offer.
A fine assortment of American Indian jewelry will be offered, including a unique turquoise Navajo bracelet adorned with various stampwork and foliate designs with three oval turquoise settings (lot 175, $200 to $250) and a Southwest Spondylus shell inlaid necklace composed of heishi, coral, imitation coral, silver beads and freshwater pearls (lot 186, $300 to $400).
Southwest pottery is well represented at the sale. Notable lots include a 19th century Zuni bowl painted with classic curvilinear designs (lot 336, $800 to $1,200), three Southwest canteens (lot 340, $300 to $400), and a black-on-black bowl decorated with a classic serpent design and signed “Maria Popovi 1260” (lot 358, $600 to $800).
A fine selection of Southwest basketry includes an Apache basket olla (lot 379, $400 to $600), a Pima coiled basketry bowl with a concentric three-point design (lot 376, $400 to $600), and a Cherokee storage basket by Rowena Bradley (lot 371, $500 to $700). The basket includes the original certificate from the Indian Arts and Crafts Board.
For details phone Skinner Inc. at 508-970-3279.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
The largest kachina in this group is lot no. 153, a Hopi carved wood hemis kachina by White Bear Fredericks, 19 1/2 inches. Estimate: $500-$700. Skinner Inc. image. Three polychrome carved wood totem poles, 27 1/2 inches high. Provenance: The Bear Totem Store. Estimate:$600-$800. Skinner Inc. image. Unusual Navajo turquoise bracelet, with a Navajo hogan done in relief, various stamp work and foliate designs, with three oval turquoise settings, stamped on the inside ‘H. Boyd, Sterling.’ Estimate: $200-$250. Skinner Inc. image. Traditional Navajo two-piece dress with variegated brown center, and various shades of red, and indigo stripes. Estimate: $1,500-$2,000. Skinner Inc. image. Yoruba carved wood Gelede Society mask, 18 inches high. Estimate: $250-$350. Skinner Inc. image.
