Prehistoric relics from Native American and Asian communities are being auctioned off by the Artifact Company on April 19. The auction includes more than 575 lots of arrow heads, banner stones, effigies, carvings and more from a wide variety of ancient peoples. The live auction will take place in Mount Sterling, Ky., and iCollector will be holding a concurrent virtual auction on its website. The American Indian art combined with various other antiques and collectibles make this a very unique and exciting event for collectors.
J. Mason Reeves Painting
The highlight of the auction is a 30.5 x 35.5 inch oil painting of a Native American chief in full regalia by J. Mason Reeves (lot #330). The portrait is a master work by one of the greatest American painters of the early 20th century. Reeves received his training from a variety of schools in the United States and Europe, including the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C., the British Academy of Arts in Rome and the Academies Julian and Colarossi in Paris. He returned to the United States in the 1920s and began his career as a portraitist in California. Reeves' love of the American West shines through in this beautifully detailed painting.
Bannerstones and birdstones
This auction includes many carved prehistoric stone relics. Bannerstones and birdstones are attributed to Native American tribes, yet very little is known about their purpose. The term bannerstone has come to encompass a large variety of shaped stones that date back to the American Indians. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some notable examples at this auction are a knobbed crescent (lot #156) found on a farm in Ohio in 1892 and a yellow quartzite bottle-shaped bannerstone (lot #147). Birdstones are similarly mysterious but a bit more uniform in shape. Resembling the silhouette of a sitting bird, these stones have been found across the United States. Notable birdstones at this auction include a 4 ⅛ inch granite birdstone from Ind. (lot #166) and 4 9/16 inch green-banded slate birdstone from Ohio (lot #173).
Asian artifacts
The lots at this auction are not restricted to Native American artifacts. There is also a large selection of Chinese and Vietnamese items such as an intricately painted 3 inch snuff bottle (lot #419). Jewelry collectors will be happy to see a yellow jade circular dragon pendant (lot #442) and green jade frog pendant (lot #426). Some of the most interesting selections are the three small Vietnamese lidded jars that were found among a 15th century shipwreck (lot #307, 308, 311).
Check out all the mysterious relics today!
