Diverse Native American Arts

This page depicts the diversity of Native American Art, yesterday and today. It represents a collection of highly unusual, sometimes impossible to find traditional items that reflect the spirit and enduring will of Native America through the ages.

It also represents Native American Art that is created from non-traditional materials, especially glass, that shows each of us how top Native American Artists continue their cultural tradition through new media.

These collections represent the results of our efforts to bring you the opportunity to learn about Native America and to participate, in a small way, in the magnificent history and art of The People.

Glass Art by Tony Jojola Carol Snow Metal Leaf Art
Joe Ben Jr. Sand Paintings Cradleboards Kwakiutl Masked Dolls Other Diverse Art Forms

In the Hopi culture, the groom and his male relatives weave fine wedding clothes for the bride, a process that may take months.

The bride will appear dressed in the white wedding robe, white deerskin boots and a black manta. Her face will be painted white, and in her arms she will carry another robe identical to the one that she is wearing. The second robe will be in a “suitcase” made of willow twigs, and rain sash symbolizing fertility. She eventually will be wrapped in that one when her life ends, and she will be buried in it for her trip to the cloud country, where cloud people reside.

Today, such a rare ensemble (right) is on display, and available at River Trading Post, Scottsdale. It includes two wedding robes, a reed wrapping mat, moccasins, and rain sash.

#5535s
$4000

Indian
Dolls

Many Native American nations.

Various
Origins

The doll is an integral part of Native American life, and of our Diverse Indian Arts collection.

Various
Prices

Visit our Doll Collection

Tony Jojola

Tony Jojola (Isleta Pueblo) is one of only a small handful of Native American glass blowers. Born on the Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico, Jojola began working as a potter at a young age. After enrolling at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, he was exposed to the art of glass blowing. Further training at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine, led to a period of study at the Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle, Washington, where he served as a studio assistant to Dale Chihuly, the acknowledged master of American glass art.

#4987s

Isleta Pueblo

Glass Bear
by
Tony Jojola
4.5" x 5.5"
$250

Sold

#4901s

Isleta Pueblo

Glass Bear
by
Tony Jojola
3" x 4.5"
$225

Carol Snow Art
	#5148f	Seneca	Three of a Kind 16" x 20"	$300	Sold
	#5153	Seneca	Warrior's Horses 11.75" x 28.25"	$500
	#5156s	Seneca	Eagles Keep My Heart Stong 20" x 23.5"	$550
	#5157s	Seneca	Ancient Talismans 26" x 12"	$450	Sold
Joe Ben Jr.
Joe Ben Jr. was born and raised in Shiprock, New Mexico. He first learned the traditional Navajo art of sandpainting from his father at age twelve. Ben has taught sandpainting at the School of Fine Arts in Paris and the School of Fine Arts in Grenoble, and his work is exhibited worldwide. In 1995, Ben was one of 60 artists invited to create a work in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations at their European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Sand was a fitting medium for that project, as sandpainting exemplifies the Navajo concepts of balance and order. In Joe Ben Jr.'s words sand interprets the forces of nature as a contemporary expression of man's place in relationship to the universe.

Pictured Above	#5421f	First Lightning	6" x 17"	$225	Sold
	#5422f	Zach and Two Sisters #1	15" x 8.25"	$170	Sold
	#5425f	Night Chant	8.25" x 20"	$210
Zach Ben

Pictured Above	#6191s	Brothers and Sisters Dancing at Dawn	6" x 25"	$400
	#6192s	Talking God	7" x 11'	$200	Sold
	#6193s	Blessing Way	28" x 32"	$1200
	#6194	Humpback Emergence	8" x 19"	$375

Edward S. Curtis Photogravures

See Our Curtis Collection for details of these original historic images.

Edward S. Curtis

Variable

A limited selection of original Photogravures by Edward S. Curtis. Beautiful and original Curtis images.

Price Varies

Please See Our Edward S. Curtis Collection

Cradleboards

#3138

Plateau

39" x 13"

Beaded hide cradleboard composed of bent wood wrapped with hide. Beaded lizard fetish hangs on the side. From the ex collection of Carl Moon. Cradleboard retains original Moon leather label.

$5320

#2419

Plains

22" x 9"

A beautiful contemporary beaded cradleboard with geometric design in yellow, orange, red and blue on a white background. In a museum display case that has some scratches.

$800

Other Diverse Art Forms

Ojibwa Birch Bark Bitings

Wanesia Misquadace, Fond-du-Lac/Objibway, practices the rare art of birch bark biting; she estimates there are no more than ten people in North America who currently create this type of work. Misquadace harvests the birch bark in Minnesota and brings it to her home in New Mexico. She peels thin layers of the birch bark and creates intricate designs by biting the folded bark. Originally used at templates for beadwork, quillwork, or story telling, Misquadace’s bitings, called wigwa mamacenawejegam have become works unto themselves.

See More Details

#6017f

Navajo

41" x 41"

Beautiful Navajo Star Quilt by
Susan Hudson

$500

#5991f

Navajo

11"

Navajo Folk Art
"Goat"
by
L. Burlin

$220

#5992f

Navajo

11"

Navajo Folk Art
"Horse"
by
L. Burlin

$220

#2770s

Navajo

Size Small

A great vest woven for a little boy.

$500

Sold

#6035

Ramona Morrow (Ojibwe)

28" x 30"

Buffalo Hunt Pictoral

$500

#6001

Mary Lou Big Day
(Crow)

25" tomahawk axe;
7" x 16" weaving

A beautiful creation by IACA Artist of the Year winner, Mary Lou Big Day.

$550

#5581f

Unknown

16.5" x 7"

We suspect that this is non-Native American made. But it is beautifully finished with handcrafted silver. A great piece

$900

#5582f

Unknown

19" x 8"

Tomahawk Axe

$150

#5587f

Unknown

14" x 5.5"

Turtle Shell Rattle

$150

Sold

#1919F

Navajo

5.5" x 5.75"

1940's Navajo medicine man bag decorated with antique dimes.

$4400

Sold

#5593f

Taos

18" x 26"

Table size Taos drum by Dow Heaton.

$1800

#5597f

Taos

21" x 3"

Taos drum by Dow Heaton

$600

#5596f

Tlingit

14" x 3"

Tlingit Hawk Hand Drum by Odin Lonning

$450

#1980

Sioux

17" x 3"

Antique Turtle Society ceremonial drum.

$550

Sold

#4551

Taos Pueblo

12" x 13"

Large Taos drum of cottonwood log. Circa 1890-1910. Deaccesioned from Fon du Lac Historic Society

$800

#4581

Cochiti

7" x 9.5"

Cochiti ceremonial drum circa 1930's.

$485

#1009s

Hopi

20" x 18"

Salako Mana dance tablita.

$560

Sold

#1110s

Hopi

18" x 24"

Palhik Mana Dance Tablita.

$750

#2987

Melvin John
(Navajo)

8.75"

Harvest Kachina Pottery Wall Hanging

$150

Sold

#2988

Melvin John
(Navajo)

12.5"

Answered Prayer Kachina
Pottery Wall Hanging

$450

#3253

Iroquois

11.25" x 14.25"

A pow-wow breastplate constructed of bone hair pipe, glass beads and brass bells. From the Six-Nations Reserve, Canada

$240

Sold

#3343

Sioux

9" x 21"

Early 20th century Sioux Woman's Ceremonial Breastplate. Exhibited in Lucite Museum case.

$1500

#4584

Oneida

33"

Oneida woman's snow shoes bought in Vigora, Wisconsin trading post circa 1920 - 1920. From Arlo Haase Estate Collection

$250

Sold

#3266

Unknown

3.75" x 2.75"

1920's Silver Navajo Corn Pollen Canteen with Whirling Log design.

$900

Sold

#1254

Crow

13" x 7"

Brain tanned Crow pouch from circa 1910. Design on both sides.

$550

Sold

#1714F

Plateau

13" x 25"

A plateau parfleche circa 1910. Very fine condition.

$2000

#3362

Crow

14" x 28"

A parfleche from around 1880. Mounted in a Lucite museum display.

$2200

Sold

#3392S

Santo Domingo Pueblo

30" x 54"

This is a 1940's dance kilt used during the Buffalo dance at Santo Domingo Pueblo. It is decorated with tin jingles, and includes a dance pouch.

$2000

Sold

#3344

Northwest Coast

Quiver 22" x 4"; Bow 41" x 2"; Arrows 30"

Northwest Bow, 8 Arrows and WoodenQuiver from around 1900. Exhibited in a 40.5" x 50" Lucite museum display.

$2500

#1985

Sioux

33" x 25"

Hide painting depicting horse raids by the Sioux on different surrounding tribes. Decorated with coup feathers, indicating that no blood was shed during the raids. By Robert Young.

$600

#3377

U.S. Government Survey

6" x 9" Image in 17" x 19" matted frame.

This original lithograph was by H.B. Mollhausen and published by the United States 35th Parallel Survey around 1860. It is titled "Indian Designs and Manufactures" and is inscribed in the image.

$225

#3290

San Xavier Reservation;
Tohono O'odham

7" tall with 7" x 9" brim

We rescued this dusty "Chiefs Top Hat" from a dusty shelf at the San Xavier mission. The colors of the beaded brim represent the four seasons as well as the four directions.

$900

Sold

Kwakiutl Masket Dolls

Crooked Beak

is a representation of Hamatsa, a personification of a man-eating Spirit in Kwakiutl mythology. The mask is worn by a dancer during a winter ceremony known as Tseyka. Dances like those performed at Tseyka also are performed at potlatches.
11.75" tall
#3401

Kingfisher

is a straight-billed shorebird that is patient, agile and quick. The people consider Kingfisher as a spirit guide because of his resourcefulness and being at home in many different environments.
#3990S

Sold

Arts of Native America Diverse American Indian Art [Home] [Edward S. Curtis Photogravures] [Dolls]

Arts of Native America
Diverse American Indian Art
[Home] [Edward S. Curtis Photogravures] [Dolls]