This heavy, 9 ½” long black soapstone carving (BB66) depicts a powerful Eskimo hunter atop an ice flow below which lies two wounded seals. Reportedly from the Port Harrison area of Alaska, the highly polished piece is unsigned and in overall very good condition with a small chip on the rear corner of the carving just below the heel of the hunter’s right foot...
This colorful and striking group of twelve offers 11 items (RFM 63-69, & 71-74) collected at tribal villages along the Sepik River in New Guinea in the mid-1980s and one piece (RFM 70) purchased at an ethnographic shop along the 'Khlong' River in Bangkok, Thailand in the same period. From a Denver area collection, all the New Guinea pieces were appraised and certified in July of 2007 by a local member of the American Society of Appraisers, copy of which will be provided to the buyer...
This spectacular hand-carved 17” long ‘ceremonial club’ (KJH87) was purchased by Ken Hladek in March 2003 (as he recalls, it was an estate sale and the item number was 0962..."INDIAN TRADE WAR CLUB - LUKA) at a Lolli Brothers auction in Macon, Missouri. The only information that came with this lethal-looking weapon was a note that it was from the William R. Gauld collection of Elmo, Montana, a town located well within the boundaries of the Flathead Indian reservation...
This 57” x 114” Navaho area rug (BB.N412) is perhaps the most beautiful of those left in the Bill Branch estate collection. Dating c.1910-20, the bold-bordered, eye-catching design displays a repeated internal quadrant pattern consisting of eagle feather tips and a single feathered arrow. In overall good condition, it does have some minor staining from use but no significant damage or signs of wear...
This assorted and attractive group of individually priced Native American jewelry items (BB78; JI213A; WFJ423, 1117, 1128, 1262, 1268, 1286, 1308, 1314 & 1316) includes the following types: bracelet, buckle, ear studs, necklace and ring. Dating from the early 20th century (Old Pawn) to contemporary period, pieces containing coral, amber, mother-of-pearl, turquoise and jet were made by the Navajo, Zuni and one from either the Northwest Coast or Alaska...
Measuring 48” x 81”, this Navajo boldly patterned wool rug (BB.N425), herein called a Nine Panel, has repeated colorful interlocking rectangular blocks. From an old Denver estate, the floor rug is in overall good used condition with minor stain. Graded at an 8, it comes with a small display card, our certificate guaranteeing authenticity, and a biographical sketch of its previous owner Billy Branch, as he was affectionately known to his many friends...
Here’s the third 'group of Twelve' listed from the Asa Battles collection (MLB 17, 28, 31-35, 38, 40, and 44-46), all Indian-related. Made up of of stone and wood ‘head-knockers’, iron tomahawks, a beaded Sioux cow-horn ceremonial club, and a bizarre dance wand or club with a skull-like appearance, this assortment is temptingly priced in the low range of $125 to $275. Each of these decorative eye-catchers is individually priced in its own photo group...
This group of Native American textiles, all from the estate of the late Billy Branch, has some very fine examples of the various styles. All of the illustrated single and double saddle blankets, pictorials and small to larger area rugs are ‘used’ but none shows significant wear, although some do have small spots and stains that are so noted...
Talk about variety! This group of twelve African collectibles (96.71 & 100.37BHD; AXH 1163, 1356, 2989, 2991, 2995, 2996 & 2998; BB 59; RFM 75 & 76; and WJF 480), each individually priced, contains items from West Africa, Tanganyika, Sudan, South Africa, Liberia, Kenya, Ghana and Niger...
This attractively simple, earlier 20th century traditional Navajo jar (RLK3) has an appliqué fillet-rim and what has been described as a burnished pinon pitch finish. Measuring 7 ½” in height, this is a fine example of the style in overall very good condition with some fire clouding and a slightly rough texture that is original to the pot. It comes with a descriptive card, a map highlighting the Navajo country, and our certificate guaranteeing authenticity...
This group of twelve (MLB 15, 16, 24, 25, 30, 41, 48-52 and 70) represents a mixture of types, both Indian and western, from the diverse estate of Asa Battles. A fine ancient ¾-grooved axe, several stone pestles and a celt, two pipes of possible Mississippian age, and a later historic fish-shaped pipe, two hide fleshers, a late Indian Wars period canteen, and even an early WW I period compass from Hungary (told you it was a mix…)...
This decorative, early 20th century pipe-axe (RLK2) was purchased in March of 1988 at a shop in Ft. Collins, Colorado where a Native American named Night Walker was selling items from his personal collection, as well as those from others of the Northern Plains reservation to which he belonged in order to support needy tribal members...