SOME “VERY EARLY” AMERICANA AT A-1 AUCTION
A-1 Auction of Orlando will offer a prized collection of Native American and Pre-Columbian art and artifacts.
Doug and Paula White, owners of A-1 Auction in Orlando, FL will offer their fifth sale of the year comprised entirely of items from the deceased estate of a major Florida agricultural family from the East Coast. The sale, to be conducted December 17 at the Maitland Civic Center in Maitland, FL just north of Orlando, will feature a wide selection of Native American and pre-Columbian art and artifacts collected over many years by Bette and Mike Steflik of Bunnell and Flagler Beach.
The Stefliks became interested in antiques and cultural collecting in the 1960s and traveled the world over seeking new additions to their treasure, acquiring articles from many cultures over forty plus years. Mrs. Steflik was so engrossed in the cultural aspects of their collecting that she often dressed in Native American costumes and jewelry for her daily routine. She was especially fond of Seminole dress. This sale will focus on North and Central American cultures with artifacts dating as far back as possibly 9,000 years to as recently as 1945.
Doug White, while not an expert on the subject of Native America, does have a background in the subject having grown up in the Memphis area and participating in many amateur archeological digs of Woodlands culture sites from 900 to 1,200 years old in Tennessee. He said, “This can only be classified as a specialty sale and we will present it all - the good, the bad and the ugly without reserve.”
The oldest items in the sale will be selected Clovis points made all over North America by Paleoindian hunters. The Clovis point, considered to be the oldest projectile point in North America, was a breakthrough in weapon technology. Its use spread across the entire continent. The points in this sale could be anywhere from 3,000 to 9,000 years old. Among the newest items to be offered is a group of 26 of the original 30 painted images of Native Americans contained in a portfolio created by five Kiowa artists known as the Kiowa Five, trained at the University of Oklahoma in the late 1920s. The listed artists include Mopope, Hokaeh, Tsatoke, Auchiah and Smokey.
Artifacts that fall the between the oldest and youngest will include a 20in monolithic granite ceremonial axe from the Upper Mississippi Valley from perhaps 1,500 to 2,000 years old, a pottery effigy water bottle from the Woodlands culture, a Zuni cottonwood crow doll, a carved Cherokee ceremonial mask, Zuni black on white pottery, lots of Zuni and Navajo jewelry and perhaps the newest article of the sale, a scene of Plains Indians by western artist Frank Miller with a dedication letter dated 1945.
White said he expects this sale to present an excellent opportunity for entry level collectors to have a look at and acquire some of what a pair of dedicated, experienced collectors spent much of lifetime seeking.
The 300 lot sale starts at noon on December 17 and is expected to last approximately four hours. The Civic Center has seating for 275 and reserved seats can be secured by phone or email. Absentee and phone bids are welcome. The preview will December 11-15 at the A-1 offices located at 2042 N. Rio Grande Ave., Orlando, FL and on December 17 until 10:00AM at the Civic Center. For more information call Doug or Paula White at (407) 839-0004, visit the website at http://www.a-1auction.net
. A-1 will follow this sale with a sale in January consisting of African art from the Steflik estate.
Axe – This ceremonial monolithic axe could be 1,500 to 2,000 years old.
Doll – Zuni cottonwood crow doll.
Jewelry – Part of the large selection of Zuni and Navajo jewelry.
Bottle – This clay effigy water bottle is from the Woodlands culture.
Painting - Artist Frank Miller left a letter of dedication dated 1945 attached to the rear of this painting of Plains Indians.
Points – Part of the collection of arrowheads and spear points, including Clovis points, in the sale.
posted by Dwayne Leslie @ 10:11 AM
