Featured N.A./Eskimo items at auction

https://www.invaluable.com/catalog/...paign=exclusive&utm_content=evergageart121618

 

Thanks for the link.
There is one interesting lesson in one of the listings. The link doesn't open for me on this PC, so I'm going by memory; but one item is a bentwood box, painted in a NW Coast Native style, starting at $500, estimate $1000-$1500.
The lesson is not limited to Native items; but it illustrates what happens when an auction-house that does not specialize in Native items takes items on consignment from people who may - or may not - know anything about them.
In the mid 1960s and up to the early 1980s (I could be wrong about the exact dates) there was a non-native lady who responded to the need for museum gift-shops to have inexpensive native-style items to sell. Her name escapes me at the moment; but she designed a line of bentwood boxes and had them manufactured; they were widely sold in the museum shops, but were not consigned to mainstream stores. As a result, they are not widely known.
Native bentwood boxes are painstakingly hand-made, using a tricky kerfing method to bend a straight board into a four-sided box; then hand-painted or carved, and a bottom and perhaps a top added.
The boxes she designed were made in the same way, but by machine; and the designs were printed on the board, not hand-painted. And they are much smaller than most native boxes. Her designs are good, but not up to the best native standards. They are good enough that I'd have to have the auction item in hand to be 100% sure; but I've seen enough of these that I'm 99% sure from the photo. I've got two of her smaller boxes, they are fun items to put pens into on a desktop.
The kicker is that the original prices were $5 - $20 depending on size; and current values might reach $50 - $100 if not misrepresented as real Native bentwood boxes.
Just an illustration that there is no substitute for experience, and for learning from others, and for being very wary about trusting an auction description.
And I wouldn't be surprised if this item sells for a very good price; it only takes two bidders who are unaware of the real origin of the item.

 

do u mean Tse-Kya bentwood boxes.? @all_fakes


I used these when I could not get my ' Old Masset Boxworks ' real miniature bentwood boxes.
But the one in the auction is not this...

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/west-coast-...y-w-k-joseph/162417810446?hash=item25d0db1c0e

 

No, but somewhat similar in construction; and of a slightly older period I think; do you know the approximate time-frame for Tse-Kya? I'm not home at the moment, or could post pics of one of mine.
The ones I'm thinking of are not quite as good as the Tse-Kya ones, in details such as the weight and taper of the form-lines.
And of course, it is possible I'm mistaken about some details; but I'm pretty certain the one in the auction is not a one-of-a-kind native made box, and is printed rather than painted; and not worth $1500.

 

you're right about that.....I believe it's a Louis V. Larson box...
& I've told them so...

 

We'll see how that works out. The one difference I note is the mark or signature on the bottom; mine and the ones I'm thinking of were unmarked.

 

Unmarked huh? Good thing about that is it can’t be re-marked. So, logically, it is unremarkable.

So ya don’t know nuffin’ bout dis, an’ gotta make some stoopid-azz comment!

 

I have some...unmarked bent boxes...but I know where they came from..

The Tse-Kya... meaning under the mountain...... boxes ...were being made for a while before I was buying them in the late 80's.

" We'll see how that works out. "
well.....they don't always listen to me....but I am their resident NWC expert !!

( on line...that is ! )

 

@all_fakes is this the one you are talking about?
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/20th-c.-tlingit-haida-painted-wood-box-totemic-67B42A79E2

 

yup.....posted by Spring...

 

L.V.Larson box...below...

 

thanks Komokwa

 

I like the Larson attribution; speaking of the one in CxGirl's link. (This PC doesn't like that website, and closes it almost as soon as I open it). The Larson's are similar to the ones I was thinking of, but clearly not the same maker. I'll have to get some photos of mine...

Well, that can't hurt!

 

Many years ago when I was a student at the University of Washington in Seattle (1970s), I worked at the Burke Museum on campus. I remember that one of the museum staff was making small bentwood boxes such as this for sale. Working with Bill Holm, I think he was machining appropriate kerfs, and steaming. I think the designs were silk screened. The "A" stamped on the bottom made me think of this, because I think his name was Arnold.

 

that's not an A ....it's a V surrounded by 2 L's......
LOUIS V. LARSON................get it !

 

thanks Komokwa I thought it was a 'A' mark too

 

Well maybe you thought that....but you didn't state that it was !!

 

Here are photos of my similar boxes; I know these were sold in the gift shop at the Burke; and other than the gender of the maker, 2manybooks' recollection is the same as mine.
For those who are interested, I'll add some rather technical discussion....

I forgot to include a close-up of the kerf, which is done in a traditional way; with some slight splitting, likely due to inadequate or no steaming. In many ways it is harder to make a small box than a big one, due to the tighter radius in the kerf, and thinner wood at the fold. The smaller box is about 3 1/2" square, the larger 6" and neither have lids. The larger box still shows untrimmed pegs at the fourth corner, which again is one of the traditional methods - though odd that these are untrimmed. Both have designs oriented on the diagonal, which is a traditional style, though uncommon for older boxes.

To a practiced eye, the form-lines are stylistically quite distinctive and recognizable; lacking a good taper, and in spots lacking in correct balance of positive and negative areas, and with some rather incorrect shapes. The silk-screened registration of the red and black is less than perfect. But the general impression is pretty good; and if one can buy a box illustrating the kerfing and bending, for $10, that's a bargain in my book. But on ebay, listed as native-made, at $300....no.

The Larson boxes can be distinguished on stylistic grounds, showing a better taper generally, but also showing similar defects in the weight and balance of positive and negative (I'd probably have noticed this, had my PC kept the webpages open for more than two seconds); but the Larson boxes too have a pretty good appearance, in general.

For comparison, there's a fairly traditional box by a younger Haida artist.

 

Thanks for correcting my misinterpretation, @komokwa. But you don't need to be such a dick about it. We all make mistakes here.

 

Oh, but I am within my purview here ...& you were providing misinformation...after I had correctly identified the box maker..