SANTA FE, N.M. – Just over 700 lots of American Indian artifacts, art and related collectibles, many of them pulled from several major private collections, will come up for bid at the Best of Santa Fe, an annual auction event hosted by Allard Auctions, Inc., based in St. Ignatius, Mont. The auction will be held at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple, located at 463 Paseo de Peralta.

Featured will be a large selection of Pueblo and prehistoric pottery, great older and more recent Navajo rugs and weavings, an impressive assortment of baskets from all the regions, classic old and newer pieces of Indian jewelry, many pieces of hard-to-find beadwork, a fine selection of original art (including highly sought after Native and Western artists, plus some nice bronzes).

Also offered will be Eskimo relics, carvings, tradebeads, unusual tribal relics, interesting and rare antique and Western collectibles. Just consigned – and a potential main highlight of the auction – is an outstanding selection of Native American jewelry items. For those unable to attend in person, internet bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com and iCollector.com.

A pair of stunning lots carries identical estimates of $10,000-$20,000. One is a late 1900s Coast Salish cedar totem pole, exquisitely hand-crafted in the traditional hollowed back form by Aubrey La Fortune. The 8-foot-tall pole is museum-quality and one of only eight the artist made in this large a size. The other is a circa 1870s or 1880s Navajo rug (or weaving), 60 inches by 96 inches in size. It’s a rare Moki-style Chief’s blanket, woven from home-spun Churro wool yarn.

Two Navajo gold bracelets being sold as individual lots are certain to draw attention. One is a remarkable solid 14kt gold-on-gold wide cuff bracelet with inlaid coral stones and a fine Indian Mountain turquoise stone, crafted in the late 1900s by Vernon Haskie (est. $10,000-$20,000). The other is an exquisite, heavy 14kt gold cuff bracelet with fine channel inlaid lapis, turquoise and shell stones, made around 1996 by Julian Arviso, in great condition (est. $5,000-$10,000).

A pair of Hopi gold rings, both made by Charles Loloma in the 1980s, will also be sold as single lots. One is a solid 14kt gold ring with unique textured band, with a rectangular Indian Mountain stone in raised bezel and rare interior feature of exposed turquoise, ring size 7 ¾ (est. $10,000-$20,000). The other is a solid 14kt gold ring with raised inlay turquoise and coral channel around its completed circumference, in very good condition, with a 10 ½ ring size (est. $8,000-$16,000).

Noteworthy necklaces will feature a Navajo necklace made by Ray Tracey in the early 1900s, boasting 14kt gold and center mounts with finely inlaid sides and large turquoise stones, plus custom-designed hand-wrought gold feather suspensions, all strung on a 20-strand apricot pearl necklace (est. $10,000-$20,000); and a late 1900s two-sided 14kt gold pendant, one side inlaid with raised Indian Mountain spiderweb turquoise, the other with sugalite (est. $7,500-$15,000).

Two Navajo concho belts each carry a pre-sale estimate of $4,000-$8,000). The first, made in the 1990s by Ray Tracey, is a hand-wrought all-silver “sampler” belt, with each one of the conchos representing the artist’s different custom stamps and styles. The second belt was made by Roger Skeet, Sr., in the mid-1900s. It is a rare, early, unsigned, hand-wrought silver belt with a picture frame buckle, having great patina and identified by Skeet’s daughter as his own personal piece.

Other expected top lots will include a large and deep-carved Santa Clara blackware pottery storage jar with Avanyu-style band, 13 inches by 14 inches (est. $6,000-$12,000); a vintage Vanco standard size parade saddle from the 1920s or ‘30s with sterling silver trim and marked “Vanco” (est. $6,000-$12,000); and a mid-to-late 1900s large, deep flared Skokomish basket made by Richard Cultee, with yellow top knot symbols and dog figures (est. $5,000-$10,000).

Start times are 12 noon on Aug. 15 and 10 a.m. on Aug. 16 (Mountain time). Previews will be held Saturday, Aug.15, from 8 a.m. until the first gavel comes down at noon; and Sunday, Aug. 16, from 8 a.m. until the 10 a.m. auction start time. A buyer’s premium of 20 percent (for online purchases) and 15 percent (for in-person and absentee bidding) will be applied to all purchases.

Allard Auctions, Inc. has been selling exclusively American Indian artifacts and art at auction since 1968. The firm is always on the hunt for quality merchandise for future auctions. To inquire about consigning a single piece, an estate or an entire collection, you may call them at (406) 745-0500 or toll-free: (888) 314-0343; or, you can e-mail them at info@allardauctions.com.

To learn more about Allard Auctions, Inc., and the upcoming Best of Santa Fe 2015 auction scheduled for Aug. 15-16, please visit www.allardauctions.com.

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