MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS
Brian Lebel’s Cody Old West Show & Auction returns to Santa Fe with a vast array of materials.
Insights from top curators about the major exhibitions of Native American art being organized at key museums.
Brian Lebel’s Cody Old West Show & Auction returns to Santa Fe with a vast array of materials.
SANTA FE, NM
After 2018’s successful first year in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Brian Lebel’s Old West Events will be returning to the famous Southwestern city on June 22 for the Cody Old West Show & Auction.
Lebel’s shows are known for their vast array of materials related to the West, particularly Native American artworks and artifacts. Items such as beaded moccasins and cradleboards, silver and turquoise jewelry, Pueblo pottery, Navajo weavings and historic artifacts such as war shirts and weapons will be available at both the two-day dealer show on June 22 and 23, as well as the live auction starting at 5 p.m. on June 22.
“It’s amazing the variety we see when it comes to our Native American materials,” Lebel says. “We see everything from historic to decorative, from the 1850s to the 1950s. It ranges from pipe bags to gauntlets to pottery to baskets to weavings. It’s a huge range, everything from historic to contemporary. Our dealers work in every segment of the market, so we see new things every year.”
Several noteworthy auctions lot include a Northern Plains pictorial model tipi (est. $20/25,000) made of tanned hide and pigment, a Sioux beaded cradle (est.
$15/18,000), a Northwest Coast canoe figure (est. $10/15,000), red River Cree quilled and embroidered moccasins (est. $20/25,000), and a Mandan/hidatsa men’s quilled war shirt that comes from the Upper Missouri River area and dates to the mid-1800s. The war shirt is estimated at $200,000 to $250,000.
The show will feature more than 150 dealers, including Territorial Indian Arts & Antiques, which will be bringing an exceptional Navajo weaving. “The centerpiece to our booth at Brian Lebel’s Old West Show in Santa Fe will be this 1880s Navajo manta, Moki stripes with indigo blue and green,” says owner Deb Neal. “We will also be bringing Apache baskets and historic Pueblo pottery and, of course, antique silver and turquoise jewelry.”
Katie Mcclain Richarme, owner of the Dancing Rabbit Gallery, will be offering a rich variety of materials to visitors to browse through. “The Dancing Rabbit Gallery will showcase contemporary jewelry from some of the most accomplished, award-winning Native American jewelers of today. In addition, a selection of vintage jewelry, pottery, Zuni carvings, textiles and baskets will also be available, reflecting the rich culture and art of the American Southwest,” she says. “Collectors at Brian Lebel’s Old West shows tend to be savvier and more knowledgeable about authentic Native American art, and have a good appreciation of value. They ask penetrating questions about provenance and design.”
Don Siegel with Chipeta Trading Company will be
bringing two historic pieces of clothing, including an Apache cape. “Simple and elegant speaks volumes to this lovely Apache girls cape, circa 1860 to 70. Honor is given to the early morning with a sunrise painted in yellow and red, using natural earth colors and pigments. Simple beading of a Morning Star and Crescent Moons bring life to this fabulous cape of supple buckskin. The piece is heavily fringed throughout and is in excellent condition. A custom wall mount is included. It comes from a New Mexico collection,” Siegel says, adding he will also be bringing a child’s dress from the mid-1800s. “Dresses of this age and quality are very rare and highly collectable. We look forward to premiering this piece at the Old West Show in June.”
In addition to the show and sale, Lebel is bringing in new partnerships with venues like the
Couse-sharp Historic Site in nearby Taos, and also Rodeo de Santa Fe, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary the same weekend as the show. “We’ve made adjustments to the show map to make space for more dealers, and we’re working on hosting a book signing, as well as an online-only benefit auction,” he says of his new partnership with the Couse-sharp Historic Site. “[With Rodeo de Santa Fe] we’re working together to find creative and effective ways to introduce rodeo fans to our event, and introduce our vendors and shoppers to the Santa Fe Rodeo. It’s a natural fit.”