Native Art: Sculpture Sale — 25% Off! Corn Maidens and Medicine Bears

Corn Maidens by Mark Swazo-Hinds.
Photo copyright Wings, 2013, 2014; all rights reserved.

I promised a sculpture sale, didn't I? Here it is, at prices you've never seen in our gallery before. [Note: All shipping, handling, and insurance costs still apply, and with the larger sculptures, will be substantial due to weight, dimensions, and need for special handling.]

First up is the work of Mark Swazo-Hinds (Tesuque Pueblo). Mark is a master sculptor, and he and Wings have been friends and art buddies for twenty or thirty years now. We've carried his art in the gallery for . . . well, probably as long as there's been a gallery.

We currently have half a dozen pieces of his work: the four Corn Maidens shown above, and the two medicine bears shown below. We begin with the maidens.

Each of these is hand-carved from very pale, very fine pink sandstone, really almost a translucent peach in color. The surfaces are so smooth you can hardly keep from touching them; they feel a bit like large worry stones. In lieu of the traditional tablita headdress, each wears Mark's trademark bundle of brilliantly-hued macaw feathers. All dimensions are approximate, and more or less from memory: The two smaller ones are in the 3"-4" high range; the largest is about 6"; the one in the back on the far right is about 5" high, and is narrower — almost an inverted teardrop shape. Prices: 

• Far left: SC035; retail, $275; sale price, $206.25 + s/h/i.
• Middle: SC033; retail, $425; sale price, $318.75 + s/h/i.
• Far right: SC036; retail, $275; sale price, $206.25 + s/h/i.
• Back: SC034: retail, $325; sale price, $243.75 + s/h/i.

Medicine Bear by Mark Swazo-Hinds.
Photo copyright Wings, 2013, 2014; all rights reserved.

Orange alabaster medicine bear, roughly 7"-8" long, if memory serves. Again, it's a smooth, silky, touchable surface, brilliant clear orange, with a translucent white marbled matrix. The medicine bundle is made of macaw and turkey feathers, shells, pottery sherds, and bits of turquoise. SC032; retail, $425; sale price, $318.75 + s/h/i. Requires special handling.

Medicine Bear by Mark Swazo-Hinds.
Photo copyright Wings, 2013, 2014; all rights reserved.

This medicine bear is coffee-table-sized. Carved of very pale sandstone in a subtle version of the traditional Southwest hump-backed style, he's more than a foot long and extremely heavy. Like his little orange brother, he has a complex medicine bundle of macaw and turkey feathers, pieces of turquoise, old pottery sherds, and shells, but his is tied on with fabric to keep it secure. This one is a showpiece. SC025; retail, $2,500; sale price, $1,875 + s/h/i. Requires special handling.

If interested, leave me a message in the comments, e-mail me, message me through Facebook, or contact me through the Web site contact form.

All text copyright Ajijaakwe, 2014; all rights reserved.

New Native Art: Vintage-Style Sculpture and Pipes

All of these are by Ponca sculptor Randy Roughface, who carves his animals in the traditional "vintage" style. He uses mostly local rock: slates, sandstones, alabasters, and occasionally pipestone. His specialty is running horses — classic Indian ponies — but he's been known to do an occasional buffalo or bird. This is the first time he's done a deer for us — powerful medicine around here. This beautiful spirit animal is carved from a solid block of brown slate, changeable in the light from golden bronze to deep ombre, with an almost ore-like texture and finish. About 4" long by about 4.5" high. $125 + $15 s/h/i.

And a back view of Deer:

These two little guys could be own horses:  Ice and Miskwaki. Here, they look a little like Ice and Fire, captured in miniature.






These two carvings are really the size of large fetishes: roughly 3" X 2" and 3.25" X 1.75", respectively. The white one is carved of alabaster, with a delicate gray matrix, and so smooth it feels like soapstone. The red one is another departure for Randy, this time, the material: It's Mexican onyx, which is cool and smooth to the touch, but with brilliant fiery reds shot through the stone.  Each is $45 + $10 s/h/i.

Lastly, another new item from him: Pipes! Now, these are not ceremonial or sacred pipes; those are not something that should ever be sold, and indeed, we would never buy or sell one. These are simply art pieces, carved vintage-style. They're nearly-identical styles, but differing sizes; both pipes are made of local red cedar, and the bowls with horse effigies are all one piece, carved from pipestone.

The smaller pipe is roughly 8.5" inches long, with a bowl some 2" X 1.75".

$110 + $15 s/h/i.

The larger pipe is about 13" long, with a bowl that measures roughly 3" X 2.5".

$125 + $15 s/h/i.

We also have some of Randy's small sandstone horse sculptures in stock, but these are all brand-new items.  For more information, leave me a comment, e-mail me, message me through Facebook, or contact me through our Web site.


Note:  The items with the higher shipping costs require special packing.


All photos copyright Wings, 2014; all rights reserved.

NDN Silver Showpieces: Snowflake Obsidian

Every now and then a piece comes together just perfectly, to create something that is much greater than the sum of its parts in nearly indescribable ways.  This is one.  It's a very heavy-gauge sterling silver cuff bracelet with incredible precision hand-stamping in Eye of Spirit and squash blossom patterns.  Additional powerful symbols chase both edges of the band and the inner band.  Across the top:  three large oval cabochons of snowflake obsidian, each set into a scalloped sterling silver bezel.  The obsidian cabs are flanked by a round deep-red garnet cab on either side, each in a sawtoothed bezel.  $725 + $20 s/h/i.

Below, a coordinating solitaire ring:

Matched, overlapping lodge symbols chase the length of the sterling silver band.  At the top, an oval snowflake obsidian cabochon rests in a scalloped sterling silver bezel. 

And from the top, with a good view of the stone:

$325 + $10 s/h/i.

So new, they're not even on the Web site yet.

NDN Silver Showpieces: Stone Mountain Turquoise

This stunner of a cuff can be worn by either a woman or a man.  Made of very heavy-gauge sterling silver, the outer band bears hand-stamped Eight Sacred Directions symbols (i.e., cardinal and ordinal points), while the inner band is chased with Eye of Spirit designs.  Each edge of the band bears evenly-spaced Sacred Hoop patterns.  Across the top, set in sawtoothed bezels, are five spectacular matched cabochons of mysterious Stone Mountain turquoise, almost seafoam green, with beige and ivory hints in the matrix.  $725 + $20 s/h/i.

So new, it's not even on the Web site yet.

NDN Silver Showpieces: Coral and Silver and the Turquoise Mountain

A hand-made heart:  a translucent blue-green Royston turquoise cabochon with a warm golden-colored matrix is nestled in a scalloped sterling silver bezel and trimmed with twisted silver.  Offset atop the heart, a tiny bezel-set cab of old natural coral.  Hand-stamped symbolism accents the hand-made bail, and the pendant hangs from a long strand of hand-strung traditional-style old sterling silver beads.

And the back view: 

Powerfully integrated symbolism surrounds a hand-stamped central heart:  thunderheads matched together form kiva spaces, joined into a pattern representing the Four Sacred Directions, while directional arrows at the ordinal points trace a counterclockwise path.  $575 + $15 s/h/i.

So new, it's not even on the Web site yet.

NDN Silver Showpieces: Spectacular Symbolism

Heavy-gauge sterling silver triangle wire, meticulously hand-stamped in chased thunderhead and cactus blossom patterns.  A scalloped bezel, trimmed in twisted silver, holds an oval cabochon of black-on-white magnesite colloquially known as "White Buffalo."  Inner band is hand-stamped, as well.  $575 + $15 s/h/i.

Precision hand-stamping of the finest sort marks the heavy-gauge band of this sterling silver triangle wire cuff.  One of the finest examples of chase stampwork I've ever seen him create, and that's saying something.  Hand-stamped inner band.  $475 + $12 s/h/i.

Hundreds of tiny sacred hoops, water droplets, each hand-struck individually, mark this entire cuff.  Heavy-gauge sterling silver triangle wire; hand-stamped inner band.  $425 + $10 s/h/i.

Another example of fine hand-chased stampwork, this time in kiva steps and lodge patterns.  Heavy-gauge sterling silver triangle wire; hand-stamped inner band.  $425 + $10 s/h/i.

So new, they're not even on the Web site yet.

NDN Silver Showpieces: Spiderwebs and Serpent Scales and Silver Rings and Things

Sterling silver band hand-stamped in matched tipi patterns.  Large square bezel-set cabochon of spiderweb turquoise.  This is a very, VERY old natural turquoise stone, originally from his late father's collection, possibly Black Mountain or Indian Mountain.  Sizeable.  $375 + $10 s/h/i.

Solid sterling silver band with chased stamping that's about as flawless as it's possible to be when done entirely freehand.  A hand-scored road edges each side; along the length of the band are diamond-shaped symbols representing the Eye of Spirit.  Sizeable.  $150 + $10 s/h/i.  

Narrow sterling silver band with hand-stamped serpent scales chased across width and length.  The symbolism is spiritually powerful.  Sizeable.  $125 + $10 s/h/i.

Narrow sterling silver band with hand-stamped directional arrows chasing the length of the band.  Guidance symbolism expressed with simple elegance.  $125 + $10 s/h/i.

So new, they're not even on the Web site yet.