By Carter B. Horsley

This season’s major auction of American Indian Art was very successful with more than 84 percent of the 571 offered lots selling for a total of $2,454,650.

"Interest in American Indian Art remains high," David M. Roche of Sotheby’s said after the sale, adding that "Southwestern material in particular had a very strong performance with the market for ceramics continuing to grow."

The most expensive item sold was Lot 407, a large Kwakiutl wood shaman figure. It sold for $145,500 (including the buyer’s premium as do all sales prices in this article), nicely over its high estimate of $120,000. The 55 1/2 inch high sculpture showed a shaman wearing a headdress with 6 large imitation bear claws seated with a very expressive face with balck and red painted details.

Art of the Northwest indians has been very popular for a long time because of its fine stylization. Lot 391, for example, a fine Tlingit chief’s ceremonial wood dance rattle in fine condition with a avian-like face on the underbelly and pronounced hook beak, sold for $32,200 and had a high estimate of $22,000.

Many lots went considerably over their high estimates. Lot 14, for example, a large San Idelfonso polychrome jar, 23 1/2 inches in diameter, sold for $96,000, almost four times its low estimate, setting a world auction record for an historic pottery jar. The jar had a wide frieze of bold geometric and scholling elements, "perhaps stylized bird motifs." Lot 15, a large Cochiti polychrome storage jar, 19 3/4 inches in diameter, sold for $60,250, twice its high estimate. Lot 24, a large Tesuque dough bowl, 18 inches in diameter, sold for $15,950, almost three times its high estimate of $5,500. Lot 79, a Hopi polychrome jar, 16 1/2 inches in diameter, sold for $12,650, twice its high estimate.

Indian baskets also did well. Lot 91, a large Apache pictorial polychrome coiled storage basket, 21 3/4 inches high, sold for $37,375, more than twice its low estimate.

Garments such as vests, dresses, gloves and leggings generally sold within their generally reasonable estimates. Lot 205, for example, a very attractive Sioux beaded and fringed hide dress with matching leggings sold for $8,625 and had a $8,500 high estimate. Lot 216, an attractive pair of Plains beaded and fringed hide gauntlets sold with its estimate for $1,725. Lot 198, a Plains beaded and fringed hide pictorial man's shirt, poncho style, shown above, sold within its estimate for $19,550.

One highlight of the garment category was Lot 562, a fine Cree quilled hide man’s coat, based on a European frock coat, which sold for $74,000, more than double its low estimate of $30,000.

Another category that generally sold within its very reasonable estimates was Plateau painted parfleche envelopes. These are very colorful articles painted with with geometic designs and ranged in estimates from $1,800 to $4,500.

Children’s articles did well. A delightful and very colorful group of Plains beaded hide fetishes in the form of turtles and lizards did nicely. Lot 228, for example, shown at above, sold for $4,025, almost twice its high estimate of $2,200. Lot 258, a Northern Plains beaded and fringed hide doll, 17 inches high, sold near its high estimate for $5,175, and Lot 263, a handsome Sioux doll and quilled toy cradle sold for $3,162 and had a high estimate of $1,800.

Rugs continued to do well. Lot 451, a classic Navajo child’s wearing blanket, sold for $76,750, more than twice its high estimate and a world auction record for such a piece.

Navajo silver belts, however, did not do well with three of four such pieces not selling even with relatively low estimates.

Among other disappointments was Lot 227, a rare Northern Plains pictorial painted buffalo robe, probably Crow, 98 1/2 inches long, that sold for only $46,000, well below its low estimate of $65,000 and Lot 536, a magnificent Plains quilled buffalo hide robe, finely decorated with narrow strips of red, yellow and black-dyed porcupine quillwork, shown below, which was passed and had a low estimate of only $20,000.

Some of the more modern lots were perhaps too aggressively estimated. Lot 491, for example, a very large tempera on canvas by Richard Martinez, San Idlefonso (1898-1987, was passed and had a low estimate of $75,000. It was the cover illustration of the catalogue. And Lot 107, a 29 inch high black Tennessee marble sculpture of a Pueblo woman by Allan Houser, Apache (1915-1994), passed and also had a low estimate of $75,000.

Lot 570, an early and rare Eastern Great Lakes effigy bowl with a carved human head on one side of the bowl, 5 1/4 inches long, sold for $21,850, and had a high estimate of $18,000.