Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (171)

Very unique translucent Spondylus shell human carving which is red/cream-colored found in the coastal area of Peru. 1 3/8" by 3/4". Collected in the 1950s by L. L. Dees. From the Len Weidner Collection. This is one of the largest and finest collections in the country. Len and his wife, Janie, publish the 'Who's Who in Indian Relics' 11 volume set. Their 10 page color collection can be viewed in Number 10. Purchased from Jim Bennett.

This is an extraordinarily rare and unique carved bone Mayan plaque. This masterpiece is the finest I have ever seen and very few exist. It is 4 1/2" X 2 1/2" X 1/8". It is from the Aapo Bolon Estate which was collected by the family while living in Guatemala from 1920-1980. I inspected the entire collection of over 1000 pieces and found nothing incorrect in any item. This was the finest piece in the offering. It is from the Post Classic Period as it is made from Bovine bone...

This phenomenal 7 3/16" Llama Bone Flute is highly engraved with human effigy carvings with crown or headdress and was recovered in Pisac, Peru near Machu Picchu. It is highly polished. It is so translucent that when backlit with a flashlight, light passes through both sides of the bone. It has beautiful patina. A lot of work and pride went into creating this beauty. I purchased it from Jim Bennett who has written several books on detecting fakes and reproductions.

This Hongshan jade circle amulet/pendant/tailsman/ring is from Northeastern China and is 1 5/8" long and 5/16" wide. Size 10 ring. The surface has been cleaned by buffing from a modern finder to accent the quality of the material which removed some of the original surface and left machine buffing marks, but it is an authentic, high quality piece. The jade is translucent and the carving was very difficult to achieve. It has wonderful patina. It dates to 6700BP-4900BP...

This jade skull is yellowish green and is from the Hongshan Neolithic Culture. It was dated to 6700BP-4900BP. It is 1 7/8" long and 1 5/8" wide. It has marvelous patina and the color is mesmerizing. It is 100% translucent. The jade is extremely fine grained and top quality. This could have been the top of a shaman's staff. BEWARE, this is one of the most reproduced fakes out there, especially on eBay. This one is the real deal. I no longer use "in my opinion" COAs...

This is an incredible 1 7/8" Columbia Plateau found in Oregon. It is made from beautiful translucent moss agate. It is a true G-10. One of the very best. It is from one of the all time great Northwest collections, Gordon Erspamer. I purchased it from a Jim Bennett auction who personally examined it and told me it was a one in a 10,000 point. Mr. Bennett has written three books on how to recognize reproductions and altered artifacts. They are currently selling on Amazon for $388 each.

A quirk of history went on in China in the late 1990's. They were building dams similar to our Tennessee Valley Authority dams. The government allowed archeologists and treasure hunters to dig in the areas where the land was about to be flooded. The result is that the average collector, through the internet, had the opportunity to acquire the most precious and valued treasures of China. Ancient Chinese jade is much more than a collectible; it is a great investment in ancient history...

This Tunjo is 5 1/2" long. Tunjos are from the Musica culture, 900AD-1500AD. This culture inhabited the high plateau in the area of modern Bogota. Most Tunjos that survived are made from gold or tumbaga. Obviously, many were made from bone, but being an organic material, very few bone ones have survived. In fact, this is the only one I have ever seen. I have had several gold Tunjos and they are unique and beautiful and in much demand. Needless to say, bone Tunjos are extremely rare.

These are two of the finest bone artifacts I have ever seen and as you can see from viewing my site, I specialize in bone items. The largest is 7 1/2". I love bone because it patinates so beautifully. These have the most gorgeous yellow brown patination you will ever see. They are very finely made with needle tip points. They are both perforated which is much rarer. They were uncovered in the melting Alaskan permafrost and could be thousands of years old. They are both translucent when backlit...

This pointed bone splitter tool from the Bill Peterson Collection and ex-Jim Bennett is 5" L, including a 2" glued piece. It was found in Kentucky and shows incredible patina. It has a drilled hole for suspension. It is just a really neat bone tool in unusual form. It has been preserved with an Elmer's glue mix which many old collections used. I will hate to see this one go.

I purchased this unique antler wedge or chisel from Jim Bennett. It has fabulous patina and is scored/grooved on the sides. It is 5 3/8" and was found near Wakemap Mound on the long narrows of the Columbia River, Oregon in the 1950's by Charlie Mitchell. A very rare and unique piece.

This exceptional Eastgate is made from highly sought after carnelian agate. It is 11/16" and is classic in style. It is thin and well flaked on both sides. It is just an exquisite delicate little point with great patina. Ex. Norma Berg collection.

This exceptional point is 1 7/16" and was found in Washington. It is made from a beautiful translucent mostly yellow agate. It is 1 7/16". It has excellent patina. Ex. Norma Berg collection. A truly high quality point with very fine chipping.

This fabulous Columbia River Gem Point is made from yellow, orange and ice translucent agate. It is Ex. Norma Berg collection. It is 13/16" and very thin. I haven't seen a color like this in 40 years of collecting.

This is a very rare projectile made from a stingray barb. It is 7 3/4" long. It was found in the Pacific Islands. It has beautiful patina. There is no damage or restoration. It is from the Dr. Raymond Thomas collection. I have only seen two of these in all my years of collecting. The other one is pictured on this site in my bone frame.

This is a very fine and extremely rare pipe from Venezuela known as a pipas angulares de barro procedentes. There is only one book written on Aztec pipes. "Pipas Precortesianas" was written by Muriel N. Porter. Porter states that Aztec pipes are extremely scarce and "we can almost say that pipes were unknown." There is a drawing in this book of this class/type of pipe. Of course, tobacco wasn't available until the Spaniards introduced it...

Okay, so this is not the best Scottsbluff you will find, but the price is not $5000 either. Here is a chance to fill a space in your paleo/archaic collection that is made from extremely rare translucent Novaculite. This is what I did when my knife river flint Scottsbluff was stolen. It was found in Cleveland County, Arkansas by Marcus Hayes. It is 1 3/4 " X 7/8" and has been heavily used and resharpened . There is good patination and mineralization. It comes with a Baker COA rating it a 7.5. It ...

This is perhaps the finest pre-Columbian gold collection ever assembled in private hands. These are all incredible masterpieces. Each one is high grade near pure gold. None are tumbaga. All have been authenticated by a forensic laboratory that specializes in pre-Columbian gold. This assemblage has taken me 40 years to acquire. Nothing was imported. All have been purchased from Sotheby's or high-end private collections. Everything is legal to own and sell. I have provenance and receipts for each ...