On August 30, Bonhams presents Modern Native American Art at its Los Angeles showroom. The sale will feature works by prominent Native American artists working in the 20th and 21st centuries. The sale will feature roughly 80 lots, including paintings, prints, jewelry, sculpture in wood and bronze, beadwork, weavings and more. Among the artists represented are Preston Singletary, Don Lelooska, Beau Dick, Tony Abeyta, Fritz Scholder, Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith, Jesse Monongya, Charles Loloma, Sonwai, and Gail Bird and Yazzie Johnson.
“We generally reserve the Modern Native American Art sale for works that speak to the 20th- and 21st-century trends in Native art, be it through medium, style, form, subject or otherwise,” says Bonhams’ Native American art specialist, Kim Jarand. “So works that might retain traditional methodologies or themes, but are in some way evident of the evolution of Native American artwork. Our flagship Native American Art Auctions generally feature historic works by artists working in the 20thcentury or earlier, and more ‘traditional’ or historically-influenced motifs.
Tony Abeyta (Navajo (Diné)), The Golden Canyon, oil on canvas, 25 x 21” Estimate: $15/$20,000
Charles Loloma (Hopi, 1921-1991)14k gold “Katsina” bracelet with lapis, coral and Lone Mountain turquoise Estimate: $30/50,000
A highlight of the show is an important collection of Native American jewelry from a private Pennsylvania collection, which includes major pieces by Loloma, Sonwai (Verma Nequatewa), Richard Chavez, Denise Wallace, and three stunning belts by Gail Bird and Yazzie Johnson. The belts were originally shown in Santa Fe Indian Market and each have high estimates of $18,000.
Traditionally, the artists would create one themed belt per year for their booth at market booth. These belts all fall under a specific theme as determined by the artists with individually designed conchas in silver, gold, and various stones reflecting that theme. One year the theme was “Protein.”
“We’ve also got a number of mask carvings by prominent Northwest Coast artists such as Beau Dick and Don Lelooska which could very well do better than expected given the recent enthusiasm for collectors of Northwest Coast art,” says Jarand. “Beau Dick’s work in particular seems to have been popular lately—we’ve got one of his fabulous ‘Dzunukwa’ masks on offer with a $10,000 to15,000 auction estimate. Also available is a polychromed bronze totem sculpture by Preston Singletary who is well-known for his works in glass, which carries a $3,000 high estimate and was consigned by a Northern California collector.”
Other highlights of the sale include three paintings by Tony Abeyta, including a smaller pueblo scene and The Golden Canyon, a charming landscape from 2009, which showcases the artist’s signature rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds. Bonhams has estimated this work, which comes from a private New York collection, will bring between $15,000 and $20,000.
Gail Bird (Santo Domingo/Laguna Pueblo) and Yazzie Jonson (Navajo (Diné)), belt from 1999 Santa Fe Indian Market Estimate: $12/18,000
Charles Loloma (Hopi, 1921-1991), 18k gold pendant with carved Lander Blue turquoise snake Estimate: $8/12,000
Four lithographs from Quick-to-See-Smith’s 1996 Survival Suite will also be up for auction. Works from the suite can be found in the permanent collections of several institutions, including the Whitney Museum of American Art.
“One of my personal favorite pieces in the sale is a Charles Loloma 18k gold and Lander Blue turquoise pendant set with a single diamond,” says Jarand. “The central turquoise stone is carved into the form of a coiled snake; it’s really very charming. The piece comes from the aforementioned Pennsylvania collection, and was purchased by the present owners directly from Marti Struever, who also featured it in her book about the artist. It’s estimated at $8,000 to $12,000, but in addition to being a great collector’s item for fans of Loloma’s work, I think the piece is super wearable, and has the potential to grab the attention of more than one serious party during the auction and may exceed expectations.”
August 30, 2023
Bonhams Modern Native American Art Sale
7601 W. Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 850-7500, www.bonhams.com
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