We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and your new year will be happy! All of us at Americana Indian Shows would like to thank you for your support of American Indian arts and artists. We look forward to bringing you the best of the Southwest in 2012!
We had a great time over the holiday season buying from many different artists and the inventory for our 2012 show series is looking very good. Alton Bedonie kept busy designing and creating some amazing turquoise and sterling silver pendants, earrings, rings and bracelets for us and we’re proud to say we had some input in the design process. Bruce Hodgins provided us with some incredible pieces, including two hand-drawn silver link bracelets (unlike any you’ve seen!) as well as a beautiful Red Fox agate pendant. Bruce stated that this stone is no longer being mined in its native Argentina, and that there are currently no other sources of this stone to be found — it’s so unique. The search is still on, but it’s doubtful if any will be found any time soon, if ever.
Frank Tom and Mary Tom both stopped by in December and we purchased a total of ten exquisite necklaces from them. Leon Martinez provided us with eleven gorgeous bracelets, including one from his son Jess. Like many Native American artists, talent runs in the family! The Martinez bracelets are designed in a 1940–50s vintage style and are set with gorgeous stones, most of which are Pilot Mountain turquoise.
We have asked all of these artists (along with Kee Yazzie and Lionel Bahe) to create some buckles and bolos. So far, we have obtained several spectacular pieces from Bruce, Alton and Kee. We also managed to purchase Kee’s blue ribbon belt buckle from 2011’s Gallup Ceremonial.
There have been several buying trips to Gallup and Zuni to get the latest and greatest in jewelry and fetish carvings. While at a trading post in Zuni, Ruddell Laconsello stopped by with a gorgeous cardinal pendant made from coral and sterling silver. In addition to obtaining that superb work of art, we also obtained several pieces from Harlan Coonsis, including a beautiful silver knife-wing dancer pendant inlayed with Sugilite and angel skin coral. Other artists represented at this show include Charles Loloma, Carl and Irene Clark, Brian Clark, Sherian Honhongva (niece of Charles Loloma) and many others. In addition to all the new works we purchased, we still have many great pieces from private collections we obtained over the last several months.
For collectors of books on Native American arts, a new book has been published — Native American Bolo Ties: Vintage and Contemporary Artistry — by Diana F Pardue and Norman L Sandfield. We will have a copy in our showroom for you to peruse.
There are so many spectacular works of art to see this show series — Santo Domingo, Navajo, Zuni and Hopi works are all represented. Artists have been very busy this winter! We look forward to seeing you all there!
Thanks, Eric