Earning top-lot honors at $19,680 was this untitled River Valley scene by Tony Abeyta (Diné [Navajo], b 1965), acrylic on paper, 27½ by 35½ inches framed ($4/8,000).
Review by Carly Timpson
SANTA FE, N.M. — More than 6,000 registered bidders spanning 40 countries showed up to the action for Santa Fe Art Auction’s Native Arts sale on February 4-5. The auction, featuring 475 lots by both traditional and contemporary indigenous artists, had a 93 percent sell-through rate and realized nearly $600,000. The selection highlighted a breadth of styles, techniques and subject matter with robust bidding on paintings, pottery, sculpture, beadwork, rugs and blankets, jewelry and works on paper.
Specialists Peter Bernardy (photography and works on paper) and Jonah Payne (Western art and sculpture) commented, “Overall, the Native Arts auction was considered solidly successful. Contemporary Native artists did very well with Tony Abeyta, Margaret Bagshaw and Dolona Roberts works achieving excellent results. In addition, Margaret Tafoya black ware and redware pieces performed well with most results going into or over estimate.”
Among those that soared beyond their estimates was the sale’s top lot: Tony Abeyta’s untitled acrylic-on-paper River Valley scene — a powerful, meandering depiction of a mountainous Southwestern landscape. The work, which was signed to the lower right and had provenance to Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe as well as a private collection in Colorado, rose to $19,680 against a high estimate of $8,000.
This Sioux elliptical parfleche case, circa 1875, buffalo hide, mineral pigments, 24½ by 13 inches, brought $9,840 ($4/6,000).
Earning more than double its low estimate to achieve the sale’s second-highest price was a buffalo hide Sioux elliptical parfleche case. The circa 1875 bag, detailed with mineral pigments in red, yellow and black, came from a private collection in Wyoming by way of Fighting Bear Antiques (Jackson, Wyo.). It was taken to $9,840.
A strong category in the sale was pottery works. Highlights included an owl storyteller and a Zuni water jar that each made $8,610. The polychrome owl storyteller was shown holding four owl children — two wrapped in each wing — and was made by important Cochiti potter Seferina Ortiz. The historic black-and-white Zuni water jar, made circa 1880, had a rainbird motif and came from a Colorado collection.
Other pottery lots included a miniature bear with inlaid turquoise details by Tony Da that achieved $7,040, a 6½-by7-inch carved redware pot with lid by Margaret Tafoya (Santa Clara, 1904-2001) that brought $5,842 ($1,5/3,000), an award-winning human storyteller with 26 children by Ada Suina (Cochiti, b 1930) that finished for $5,440 ($1,5/3,000), a 6¼-by-9¼-ich black ware bowl by Margaret Tafoya at $4,612 ($1,5/3,000) and a circa 1950 black ware vase, 10¾ inches tall, by Maria (San Ildefonso, 1887-1980) & Santana (San Ildefonso, 1901-2002) Martinez $4,612 ($5/7,500).
Inlaid with turquoise, this small, fired clay bear by Tony Da (San Ildefonso, 1940-2008), 1¾ by 2¾ by 1¾ inches, brought a big price: $7,040 ($4,5/6,500).
A carved and painted wood Plains figure went out at $7,380. The woman figure was dressed with an intricate glass beaded shawl, bag and moccasins, as well as a pictorial painted hide dress. Other adornments included silver, cloth, hair, quills and shells. According to the auction catalog, “This original piece remains vibrant in color, unblemished and in very good condition overall.”
In closing, Olivia Sherman, press and research associate, wrote, “Overall, the auction was a strong start to the year and spoke to the increasing interest in works by both classic and contemporary Native American artists within the current market.”
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, www.santafeartauction.com or 505-954-5858.
