Auction Report
around the block Native American artwork draws serious collectors to the auction circuit by Rodney Gross Unknown artist, Iroquois Figural Ball Club from the collection of Marvin L. Lince, iron, wire, and wood, 20" (Cowan’s)
Above, left: Unknown artist, Eastern Woodlands Carved Wood Belt Cup, maple burl and cotton string, 5" (Heritage). Above, right: Unknown artist, Cherokee Bandolier Bag collected by Michael Francis, wool and beads, 29 x 13" (Cowan’s). Left: Maria Martinez and Popovi Da, Red Plate with Feather Design, clay, 14" (Altermann). 62
nativeartsmagazine.com
IF YOU FIND YOURSELF wishing that Santa Fe’s annual Indian Market never had to end, take heart. Several auction houses throughout the country offer Native American and Western art and artifacts throughout the year to discerning collectors and art lovers. In Santa Fe, Altermann Galleries & Auctioneers (altermann .com) has been specializing in American Western art since 1978. Owned and operated by father-and-son team Tony and Richard Altermann, their location at 345 Camino del Monte Sol will host auctions on August 16 and December 7. (Altermann’s seasonal gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona, typically schedules its own auction in April.) A third location recently opened in Dallas. You can create an online profile that will match you with art that interests you and allow you to bid at upcoming auctions. Or, you can submit your own pieces: Altermann’s experts are happy to evaluate them or assist you with offering them for consignment. Cowan’s Auctions, (cowansauctions.com) led by PBS’s History Detective and Antiques Roadshow appraiser Wes Cowan, has been serving the needs of the auction world for nearly 20 years. Cincinnati-based Cowan’s is one of the few major auction houses that specializes in American Indian and Western Art. Two live auctions of Native American art are conducted each year, along with two or three online-only sales; expect to see exceptional beadwork, clothes and garments, blankets, pottery, basketry, moccasins, jewelry, and more. Just recently, Cowan’s acquired and sold the Marvin L. Lince Collection of American Indian Weaponry and Accoutrements. Many of the pieces sold above estimate and in the $50,000–$60,000 range. Established in London in 1793, Bonhams (bonhams.com) has grown into an international network of sales rooms featuring fine art and antiques with 60 specialist departments, including