Clive Devenish Antiques Native American Objects

This is a very rare and important original image of early Western Americana, or more specifically, "Californiana". Mid 19th century and researched to have been engraved in 1856, it captures, in incredible detail, a group of twelve Native American Indians with a baby in a papoose, gathered together in front of their hanging tools, baskets, implements and weaponry behind them on a "tent like" backdrop. There are men, women, young, and elderly. It is a signed wood cut engraving applied in ink by well known wood cut engraver of the mid 19th century, William J. Peirce (active 1851-1879). It is in excellent all original condition with no additions, no restoration of any kind and it is housed in it's original 1 1/2" double beveled wooden birds eye maple veneered frame with a gilt 1/2" filet interior border. "A Group Of California Indians" is engraved at the base along with a non-descript notation "For description see page 381" which appears in the margin, in addition to an illegible signature. Both these line items are also noted by the New York Public Library, where a digital example exists from the esteemed collection of "The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division Picture Collection", which was assembled in 1986 and recently digitalized. The Library of Congress also memorializes this image and theirs is similarly a digital image. My example came out of the Grant Smith Collection of "Californiana", as is noted on the back of the framed engraving. He was located at Main Street in Bolinas, California (see images on the rear for provenance). Research reveals that he was a direct descendant of the coastal Miwok people who built a settlement in the Bolinas lagoon area. The engraving is referenced in both the New York Library and The Library of Congress as "A Group of California Indians". It is one of the earlier images you will find, along with McKenny and Hall lithographed mages of Native American Indians; and because of it's subject matter and extreme rarity, "A Group Of California Indians" commands attention and interest from the Western art collectors' arena. California became a state on September 9, 1850 making this one of the earliest known images (Circa 1856) of "Californiana" and California Native American...

Displayed on a custom made metal stand designed especially for this boat, this is a typical model dugout canoe carved by the Nootka or Makah Indian tribe of the Pacific Northwest...

Very rare and unusual piece, a sterling silver "note holder" fronted by an Indian Chief on the front in high relief. A bale on top provides for a necklace and hanging as a decorative piece of jewelry. Other decoration on the front includes a tomahawk and a peace pipe criss-crossed beneath the Indian. The back is plain with a decorative "repousse" floral border, and "sterling" clearly marked in the lower left (see image). It is 2 7/8" high  x 2" wide resembling and in the style of a match safe; probably manufactured by Unger Bros. of Newark, New Jersey, circa 1880, but difficult to observe all of the surfaces because of the frontal "notes" in permanent place. A note holder would have been used to write down reminders and/or notations by the user; the surfaces appear to be a celluloid type material. Condition is excellent with six notes intact; a very slight "crease" to the back side; hardly noticeable (see image). Appropriate Americana for the discerning collector with a Western Native American...

Fine quality hand painted porcelain humidor is in excellent all original condition with no chips, repairs, or overpaint; nice bright crisp paint and detail. No mark, but definitely American, circa 1900 era. Note the detail to the Indian's face and his elaborate headdress. Native American Indians were especially attracted to tobacco and related products and relished the opportunity to pose for pictures on that topic; note cigar store "Indians", match safes, and humidors. This is a very desirable and item of tobacciana with the Indian subject matter and the attractive multicolored hand painted Indian chief with headdress, probably of note but I have not been able to accurately identify him; quite possibly "Big Bow" an Indian warrior who has been identified on other similar objects. Grace Young...

Rare and difficult to find Native American beaded coin purse, with an image of an Indian chief in full regalia, with a headdress and frontal Indian d...

A particularly fine quality rare and difficult to find Native American silver plated beaded coin purse, with an image of an Indian chief. The beading...