Bonhams’ Native American Art Sale
Los Angeles, CA
The summer rendition of Bonhams’ Native American Art sale in Los Angeles is shaping up to be a great one, despite the challenge California and the rest of the country currently faces. The auction, which is set for August 31 at 11 a.m. Pacific time, will bring a variety of Northwest Coast treasures and fantastic selections of historic weavings, beadwork and jewelry.
“It’s a really solid sale in terms of materials,” says Ingmars Lindbergs, director of Bonhams Native American art department. “We have a staff in particular that I’ve been working for almost 20 years to bring in and finally landed this thing coming out of a collection in Sweden,” he says of a Northwest Coast wooden staff that will be up for bidding. The staff is estimated to go for between $40,000 to $60,000. “And then I’ve got a Northwest Coast rattle from a private England collection that’s been in the family for generations.”
Lindbergs explains that a massive collection of Northwest jewelry coming out of a Beverly Hills estate will be part of the sale as well. “We’ve got a great jewelry collection, these amazing never before to market Northwest Coast pieces. [There will
also be] some really nice pottery, some nice baskets including a small and interesting Southern Paiute basket...those are visually interesting and a scarcer type of basket from that area. And then a lot of weavings coming from a number of different sources. We’ve got one child’s blanket that’s nothing but all-natural dyes that visually is just a tour de force gorgeous thing. Women’s mantas. A great selection of Germantowns, and then just a solid selection of overall Navajo weavings,” he says. Nearly 50 weavings will be offered in the August sale, Lindbergs adds.
Collectors interested in beadwork won’t be disappointed either. “We have some really good early beadwork,” says Lindbergs. Included are a “really handsome pair of Kiowa dolls” and a Sioux beaded and quilled bow case and quiver with a presale estimate of $20,000 to $40,000.
“The volume in terms of sell-through and just the amount of people interested in buying right now is huge,” says Lindbergs. “They’re out there. They’re active.”
An auction preview may be available but will be by appointment only. Bonhams’ next Native American Art sale is set to be held November 23.