After decades of success in Mesa, Arizona, Western art promoter Brian Lebel and Morphy Auctions have moved the hit Old West Show & Auction, now in its 34th year, to Las Vegas. For Lebel, who has run countless shows in dozens of states, Las Vegas offers opportunities unique to other cities.
Earl Biss (Crow, 1947-1998), Photo Finish, oil on canvas Estimate: $20/30,000
“There is a great vibe in Vegas and I think our collectors are ready to experience something new. Mesa was great for all those years, but like everything, people are happy for a change,” Lebel says. “One of the things we’re already hearing is how many hotel options there are and how many great restaurants that are nearby. Also, because it’s Las Vegas, the flights into town are constant. These things just make it fun for everyone—the dealers and the collectors.”
Blackfoot men’s war shirt with history Estimate: $15/25,000
The show, as in past years with Lebel’s events, will have two components: a large dealer show, where buyers can peruse hundreds of booths filled with Western and Native American material spanning centuries, and then a 450-lot auction, which is also filled with great art and objects from around the Southwest and beyond.
Beaded and parfleche Crow Indian bridle Estimate: $9/12,000
“Not only are we going to have all our best dealers back, but we’re going to have more of them since we have more room for them,” he says. “And then the auction will be right next door so guests can browse the show and head right next door to preview the auction. We want this to be easy for anyone who comes out.”
Frank Powell presentation tomahawk Estimate: $4/6,000
The show will take place January 26 and 27 at the Westgate Resort & Casino, which is a short walk from the world-famous Las Vegas Boulevard. The show will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days, and the auction will take place January 26. The event will complement Morphy’s Las Vegas Antique Arms Show, a gun show that emphasizes historic firearms that often pair nicely with paintings and bronzes in major collections.
Plains Indian pictorial quilled gauntlets Estimate: $2/3,000
Unusual 1880s Lakota beaded bridle Estimate: $8/12,000
Lots in the sale include a huge Earl Biss racehorse painting titled Photo Finish, estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. Biss’ work, like that of Fritz Scholder and John Nieto, is finding new collectors at a high rate, which is driving up interest in his work.
Cheyenne Arapaho beaded hide saddle blanket Estimate: $8/12,000
In addition to paintings and bronzes, the sale will have a number of historic items from the late 1800s and early 1900s. These include two stunning beaded bridles, one is a Crow example (est. $9/12,000) and the other Lakota (est. $8/12,000), and two pairs of beaded pictorial gauntlets. A Blackfoot man’s war shirt with long history and provenance will be offered with estimates of $15,000 to $25,000, as will a Sonny Tuttle hand-painted deer hide estimated at $2,000 to $3,000.
Sonny Tuttle (Lakota, 1922-2009), hand- painted deer hide Estimate: $2/3,000
“The West runs so strong in Las Vegas that we are going to have a great turnout. I think back to all the Western-themed casinos that were part of Vegas since the very beginning,” Lebel says. “It’s a Western town.”
January 26-27, 2024
34th Annual Old West Show & Auction
Westgate Resort & Casino 3000 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (480) 779-9378, www.oldwestevents.com
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