This early Nineteenth Century buffalo hide war shield was described as exemplifying “the rich artistic and cultural traditions of the Pueblo people.” Bidders were attracted to its condition and history of ownership and chased it to $24,600, the sale’s highest price ($12/18,000).

Review by Madelia Hickman Ring

SANTA FE, N.M. — In their first sale of 2025, Gillian Blitch and Santa Fe Art Auctions (SFAA) offered Native American works of art spanning the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries and across all media, from textiles and pottery to jewelry and three-dimensional artifacts, with two-dimensional works including photographs, drawings and paintings. The February 5-6 Native Arts auction totaled $450,000 and more than 400 of the nearly 450 lots offered gaveled down successfully for a sell-through rate of more than 90 percent. Blitch was pleased to share her impressions of the sale with us a few days after it closed.

“There were a wide range of buyers for SFAA’s Native Arts sale with bidders active throughout the world. The sale’s top lots saw excited bidding wars and both distinguished private collectors and trade buyers from throughout the country. We saw many new and younger collectors emerging with this sale; there was a strong interest in historic Pueblo art and pieces that reflect traditional methods and materials, as well as strong bidding for works by many important contemporary Native artists. Native American artists continue to see a major surge in recent interest in the art market.”

An important Pueblo war shield, made in the early Nineteenth Century from buffalo hide decorated with natural pigments was the top lot. Several factors contributed to its desirability: it had provenance to both Jesus Sito Candelario and his grandson, John S. Candelario, who was an influential figure in Santa Fe known for his work as a cinematographer, photographer and collector of Native American art and artifacts. It was included in Barton Wright’s book Pueblo Shields from the Fred Harvey Fine Arts Collection (Northland Press, 1976) and appeared in Arthur Gould’s 1955 film Indian Artists of the Southwest. A rare survivor with traces of old paint layers but no recent repainting, it saw intense interest and rode to a new home with a private collector, for $24,600.

This buffalo hide robe was embellished with beads, pigments, buffalo teeth and dewclaws, ermine and abalone shell buttons. It was attributed to the Lakota Sioux and dated to circa 1980. Bidders drove it to $8,610 ($2/3,000).

A circa 1980 buffalo hide robe, attributed to the Lakota Sioux, with provenance to the Prairie Edge Trading Company & Galleries of Rapid City, S.D., as well as the Bing and Vickie Crosby collection, brought the third highest price, at $8,610.

Two images of Native Americans on horseback also saw tremendous interest, though they were made 90 years apart. The first to cross the block was Edward Curtis’ (1868-1952) “The Vanishing Race — Navajo,” an orotone photograph described in the catalog as “a powerful and iconic representation of [Curtis’] life’s work. The image serves as a poignant metaphor for Curtis’ belief that Native American cultures and traditions were on the brink of vanishing in the face of modernization and cultural assimilation.” It exceeded expectations and achieved $8,320. On the second day, “A Peaceful Ride Along The Plateau,” which Earl Biss (Apsáalooke [Crow], 1947-1998) painted in 1993, all but quadrupled its high estimate when it fetched $15,990; the result set the new world record of $200 per square inch for the artist. Both works came to auction from a private collection in Colorado.

This Diné (Navajo) Yei pictorial rug dated to circa 1910, was made from wool dyed with natural and aniline dyes and measured 59¾ by 37¼ inches. It more than quadrupled its low estimate when it sold for $6,150 ($1,5/2,500).

Capping a selection of nearly 20 rugs was a circa 1910 Diné (Navajo) Yei pictorial example from a New Mexico private collection that achieved $6,150.

Pottery in the sale was topped by a circa 1960 San Ildefonso blackware pot with feather decoration by Maria Martinez and Popovi Da, also from a private Colorado collection. It achieved $4,800.

Native American jewelry continued to be popular, with a Royston turquoise squash blossom necklace, attributed to the Diné (Navajo) people, that had provenance to the Gene Russell estate, bringing $7,380.

Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house.

Santa Fe Art Auction is scheduled to sell prints and works on paper on March 12-13. For information, www.santafeartauction.com or 505-954-5858.