DALLAS, TEXAS — Frenzied bidding drove the price on a hand-carved American tobacconist cigar store Indian to $150,000, including buyer’s premium, to claim top-lot honors in Heritage Auctions’ Americana & Political Auction that realized a combined $1,783,252 on December 3.

Created in the manner of cigar store Indians carved by Julius Melchers, and perhaps by Melchers himself, this 67-1/5-inch statue was in such high demand that the ultimate return was more than seven times the high estimate of $20,000. This tobacconist figure, wearing a bear claw necklace and medallion with colorful polychrome paint, exhibits Melcher’s attention to detail.

“A selling price in the mid-five figures range was expected,” Heritage Americana Auctions Director Tom Slater said, “but furious bidding drove the price to $150,000.”

“This was a very strong auction,” Slater observes. “We have found that auction items of the best quality—regardless of category—have tended to exceed expectations, and this auction certainly continues that trend.”

A complete review of the auction will appear in next week’s issue of Antiques and the Arts Weekly.