Los Angeles, CA

A Strong Market

Bonhams holds its summer edition of Modern Native American Art and Jewelry that boasts 150 impressive lots.

After Bonhams’ massively successful Modern Native American Art and Jewelry sale in late April, which broke a dozen artist records, organizers are now prepare for the sale’s summer edition. The August 29 sale features more than 150 lots with a catalog featuring many of the same artists found in the spring edition. This includes prominent artists like Fritz Scholder, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Rick Bartow and Rhonda Holy Bear. A variety of other works by both established and emerging Native American artists will also be represented.

T.C. Cannon (Kiowa, 1946-1978), Memorial Woodblock Suite, 1977, five woodblock prints, ed. of 200, each: 25¼ x 20” Estimate: $20/40,000Kim Jarand, Bonhams’ Native American art specialist, shares that “judging by bidder participation in our last few modern and contemporary Native American art sales and the market at large, it seems that collector demand for many modern and contemporary Native artworks has been steadily on the rise, and we are delighted to be able to offer works at a variety of price points to suit new and established collectors alike.”

Jarand also expresses delight “to be able to offer really fantastic works by artists with decidedly strong secondary markets and track their growth, illustrating the strength of the market on a larger scale,” she says. “For example, we sold Fritz Scholder’s (Luiseño, 1937-2005) Dartmouth Portrait #8 in 2022 for nearly $380,000, and in our April sale the artist’s Indian with Mask from the Arnold and Lorlee Tenenbaum collection brought just over $330,000.”

Scholder is also represented in the summer sale, coming in with one of the highest estimates (est. $30/50,000) for Dark Indian, 1970, a great example of the artists distinct use of abstract expressionism and surrealism. “This work comes from the prominent collection of Loren and Anne Kieve, passionate collectors who have an established interest in contemporary Native American artworks,” says Jarand. “The August sale features two original paintings by the artist and a selection of prints, including a complete Indians Forever portfolio of lithographs.”

Additional highlights from the modern Native American art portion of the sale include a Memorial Woodblock Suite (est. $20/40,000), which includes five woodblock prints, by T.C. Cannon (Kiowa, 1946-1978), from a distinguished New York collection, and then acquired from Aberbach Fine Arts in New York, who represented the artist starting in 1972; and Wiyot, circa 1998 by Rick Bartow (Mad River Band of Wiyot Indians, 1942-2016), a handmade book of prints from the artist’s residency in Japan.

Gail Bird (Kewa/Laguna) and Yazzie Johnson (Diné), a single-strand necklace of Biwa pearls and seed pearls interspersed with gold bezels (some with overlay animal motifs verso) set with opal, pearl or jasper, the clasp set with pearl and garnet, with a matching pair of gold and Biwa pearl earrings. Necklace: length 32”; earrings: length 1¼” Estimate: $12/18,000As for the jewelry portion of the sale, collectors will find gems like Gail Bird’s (Kewa/Laguna) and Yazzie Johnson’s (Diné) 18-karat gold and pearl necklace and earring set, estimated between $12,000 and $18,000. “Featuring Biwa pearls, seed pearls, opal, jasper and garnet,” Jarand explains, “this suite was purchased by the original collector from Marti Struever in 1996, was exhibited at the traveling Jewels of the Southwest show at the Arizona Historical Society Museum in Phoenix, and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe in 2002.”

Fritz Scholder (Luiseño, 1937-2005), Dark Indian, 1970, oil on canvas, 30 x 23” Estimate: $30/50,000Jarand hopes that collectors are pleased with the offerings of the August 29 sale, kicking off at noon. “We are heartened by the growth in the market for modern and contemporary Indigenous American art,” she says, “and we hope that collectors can see that confidence from our dedicated modern sales.