Fancy NWC stuff here!

Wow-- truly a 'museum quality' auction!

 

I kept an eye on basically the entire auction. It was a good one to watch unfold live. Interesting items and interesting to see the prices they brought. I did notice it was multiple collections. I went after one of the horn totem spoons but it ended up going one or two increments above my bid. I thought there was still meat on the bone but I knew if it entered my hands I’d never actually sell it. I try to buy the thing I know I’ll keep on the side of being a real strong value. I shouldn’t necessarily allow myself to keep expensive things.

 

I don’t know enough about prices for specific NWC artists to know what items were deals in that category. I saw the lot of Charles Russell sterling silver figures sold at what could be considered a deal. There were seven and they theoretically would each sell for north of 1k. I think those went for a bit under 4k. So if you were patient there could have been a couple grand profit. Some of the basket lots looked like they could have maybe been broken up for profit. The Yupik artifact lot I might have bid on if it could have been shipped. That could have been broken up for a healthy profit at $800. I nearly bid on the Mimbres bowl. That would be a money maker I think but I wanted it a bit cheaper than it went. Those were just some things I saw and was interested in.

Are you inferring the pendants were made by a regular old American vs. a Native American?

 

I think the house looses on a very regular basis. They win more than they lose but they lose. They aren’t all massive losses but they lose at least a few times every auction or sale in my experience. I’ve made some pretty nifty gains off their misses and I make them quite regularly. I think it’s more cost effective to lose sometimes than it is to get everything exactly right in the long run. Sometimes they really blow it though where I’m sure they wish they hadn’t.

I talked to a sale runner this year who said he’s missed several 100k+ pieces of artwork in his career. I don’t know what they sold for but it was damn clear it was nowhere even close to their worth.

 

At least they weren't the guys who sold a genuine DaVinci for $30,000 a while ago. (or at least so people say - resold for a bundle later)

 

No, they are pure NWC 1st Nations......... but not out of Canada , where I'm much more familiar with the siggys and markings than I am with the American native artists.
The NWC artists out of Wa. & Alaska, other than the well known names.... is where my expertise is less than stellar.

 

Yes , some of the basket lots , still had meat on the bone.