The Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association (ATADA) has formed a new partnership with Jasper52, a New York company that provides auction marketing and catalog-production services to sellers of high-quality art, antiques and vintage collectibles. The first joint venture teaming ATADA dealers with Jasper52 is a Sunday, August 18, 2019 online tribal art auction running exclusively through LiveAuctioneers. The boutique selection of carefully curated cultural art includes jewelry, handcrafted pottery, masks, figures, textiles, weapons, and other high-quality objects.
One of the top highlights is a Northwest Coast ceremonial dance mask made circa 1870 and repainted around 1900-1910. Standing 8-1/2 inches tall, it is made of wood and tanned hide with feather nubs. The mask is the work of the Heiltsu tribe (Bella Bella) of the central coast of British Columbia. Formerly owned by a hereditary chief who had the right to sell the mask, it is accompanied by a historical analysis written by Steven C. Brown, a scholar of Northwest Coast art and a former curator at the Seattle Art Museum. The presale estimate is $9,000-11,000.
An exquisite San Ildefonso polychrome jar by Blue Corn was created in the 1970s from native clay and pigment, and fired in the traditional manner. Its dimensions are 11 by 10 inches and its medley of earth tones ranges from olive green and muted ochre to matte black and white. The artist’s signature and the later addition “Fenn Gallery Santa Fe Mar 5, 1979” appear under the base. This handsome vessel is expected to make $4,000-5,000 at auction.
Also a product of the San Ildefonso Pueblo, a ceramic bear figure from the 1960s was formed from native clay with turquoise inlaid accents and hsi beads wrapped around the body to contain a flint arrowhead. The stylized figure titled “Tony Da Bear” is sophisticated in its simplicity and, based on its excellent condition and rich coloration, has been extremely well cared for over the past half-century. Its preauction estimate is $24,000-29,000.
A sampling of other notable auction lots includes a fine Northwest Coast Chilat dancing blanket, $59,000-71,000; a Pre-Columbian Moche (Peru) copper funerary mask, circa 300BC to 300AD, $6,000-7,000; a Colima (West Mexico) jagged-toothed redware pottery dog, $2,500-3,000; Navajo turquoise/silver jewelry, Zuni fetish necklaces, and antique hand-crafted wooden objects from New Guinea, Oceanic and African tribes.
The Sunday, August 18 online-only auction will begin at 5 PM ET and will be conducted exclusively through LiveAuctioneers.com. Enquiries about any item in the sale can be directed to Jessica Mizrachi. For more information, email service@jasper52.comor call (917) 382-5114.
