LOS ANGELES, CA.- John Moran Auctioneers will be presenting their first Art of the American West sale of 2024 on Tuesday, March 12th, 2023, at 10:00am PDT. Comprised of over 380 lots, this auction will feature an exciting and robust offering of fine art for a wide range of collecting aesthetics from historic to contemporary. Western bronzes from artists such as James Regimbal, Ken Payne, Fred Fellows, Greg Eiselein, and Vic Payne represent a large portion of the auction. Logan Maxwell Hagege, Joe De Yong, Elbridge Ayer, Ralph Love all work to convey life in the American West through their unique perspectives. Incredible examples of Navajo and Pueblo jewelry including pieces by Frank Patania, Frederico Jimenez, Mike Bird Romero, Clarence Lee, Art Tafoya, and Sara Leekya represent more than 160 lots. Also, a variety of Navajo textiles and Acoma and Zia pottery, including examples from Joseph Lonewolf, round out the sale.
 
Highlighting the fine art offerings is a Logan Maxwell Hagege work titled, “High Desert Trail,” 2010, estimated $15,000-20,000. Hagege (b. 1980) is known for his paintings of riders on horseback, Native Americans, cowboys, clouds, cacti, and rocky desert landscapes. His bold and stylized realism has attracted collectors like musicians Bruno Mars and Brandon Flowers of The Killers, as well as museums like Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. With his paintings, art books, and sold-out serigraph print editions, Hagage is bridging the way for a younger generation of Western artists.

Representing the 20 examples of bronze sculptures is “Highway to home,” 1998, by James Regimbal, estimated $4,000-6,000. Through his very detailed, historically accurate bronzes, Regimbal (b. 1949) details all aspects of the cowboy’s life from the pre-1900s. Taking inspiration from true-to-life western books and movies, his subjects include Indians, warriors, hunters, story tellers, cavalrymen, and bronco busters. Regimbal strives to pass on the true story of our American heritage through his bronze sculpture.

Collectors are sure to take notice of the three stunning Frank Patania pieces. Frank Patania Sr. (1899-1964) was a jeweler who came from the integration of two distinctly different traditions: one European, and the other Native American. He drew from a long history of Italian creative spirt, combining technical expertise and artistic imagination. Then, after being introduced to the work of southwest Native American jewelers in the 1920s, Patania’s style drastically transformed. Included in this sale are a couple offerings of one of his most well-known designs, the “Patania Thunderbird”— a $3,000-5,000 estimate, a sterling silver and turquoise concho belt, estimated $3,000-5,000, and a Southwest sterling silver and turquoise cuff bracelet, estimated at $1,500-2,500.

Other notable designers featured in this auction are Federico Jimenez, Julian Lovato, and Art Tafoya. Of the 15 lots from Mexican jeweler, Federico Jimenez, a sterling silver stone inlay butterfly concho belt, estimated $2,000-3,000, with turquoise, spiney oyster, and onyx is sure to garner some major attention. A Julian Lovato sterling silver and turquoise link bracelet will be presented with a $2,000-3,000 estimate. Art Tafoya will have nearly 20 examples offered in this sale, one being a carved stone frog fetish pendant designed with two carved frogs of different stones and a multistrand coral necklace and estimated $700-900.

There will be an impressive selection of over 30 lots of Navajo blankets, rugs, and textiles. A Navajo Second Phase chief’s blanket featuring bands of cream and dark brown wool with blue banding and green crosses will be offered with a $3,000-5,000 estimate, as well as a large Navajo regional rug, estimated $3,000-5,000, made with cream, grey, dark brown, red, and ochre wool.

Rounding out the sale will be nearly 60 lots of historic to contemporary Pueblo pottery including a large Zia Pueblo polychrome pottery olla, estimated $1,000-1,500, and a lot of three Santa Clara Pueblo diminutive seed pots by Joseph Lonewolf, estimated $1,000-1,500.