DALLAS, TX.- A circa 1890 Plains style Sioux Pictorial Beaded Hide War Shirt, fringed with long locks of dark hair, could sell for as much as $45,000 as part of an extraordinary array of American Indian art in Heritage Auctions' American Indian, Pre-Columbian and Tribal Art Auction in Dallas Dec. 13 in Dallas.

"This is a really important piece, in part because, it's a war shirt – a very masculine object. Collectors love weapons and things related to warriors, and this shirt falls into that category," Heritage American Indian Art Director Delia E. Sullivan said." "Plus, it's pictorial – it has American flags worked into the bead patterns, which everyone likes."

The war shirt was created to be worn in the style of a poncho. The open sides are held together with hide tie laces, and the sleeves are sewn together from wrist to elbow. Painted blue, green and yellow, the shirt is decorated with beaded strips over the shoulders and down the sleeves, edged with long locks of hair. In theory, at least, a lock of hair was added for each recognized deed in war: a coup, capturing a horse, taking prisoners, getting wounds, saving the life of a friend, etc.

"The auction also includes three fantastic collections of Pueblo pottery, including intact prehistoric examples, very large historic pieces and whimsical contemporary creations by well-known artists," Sullivan said. "It's exciting to find a piece that is 1,000 years old with a condition report indicating very little or no restoration. It's equally exciting to find 15 inch, 18 inch, 20 inch historic ollas and bowls that have remained intact for 100 years. These things are highly desirable to collectors," Sullivan said. "We were thrilled to attribute one of the historic polychrome ollas to Arroh-ah-och, a man who crossed over and was accepted as a woman in turn of the century Native American culture."

The sale also includes Pre-Columbian and Tribal art with significant provenance.

Some of the top lots in the category include (but are not limited to):

· A Socorro Black-On-White Storage Jar, circa 1100-1250 AD, with a diameter of 18-1/2 inches (est. $20,000-25,000) has fire clouds on the body, but is rated in excellent overall condition.

· In this 45-inch Shoulder Mask (est. $20,000-30,000), the Waja use a high brightly painted yoke with a long, slender neck and small head. The wearer can see through two rectangular holes. Lighter color on the yoke suggests that the yoke was not seen when the mask was in use, or at the very least, was not emphasized. Waja arts, like those in neighboring Chamba, Jukun, Mumuye and Wurkun of the upper Benue River in northern Nigeria went largely overlooked until the 1960s.

· A Laguna Four-Color Jar, possibly by Arroh-ah-och (est. $10,000-15,000), which is 13-1/2 inches in diameter

· A Large Santa Clara Blackware Jar (est. $8,000-12,000), which is made of clay, with a stone polished surface, and has a diameter of 19-1/2 inches

· A Zia Polychrome Jar (est. $8,000-12,000), circa 1900, made of clay and paint, with a diameter of 16 inches

· A Zuni Polychrome Dough Bowl (est. $8,000-12,000), circa 1870, is made of clay and paint, with a diameter of 11 inches

· A Black-On-White Socorro Storage Jar (est. $8,000-12,000), circa 1100-1250 AD, of clay and paint, with a diameter of 17 inches

· A San Ildefonso Polychrome Jar (est. $8,000-12,000), circa 1890, clay and paint, with a diameter of 17 inches

· An eight-inch Mississippian Seated Pottery Female (est. $8,000-12,000), circa 1000-1400 AD, shows a woman looking upward while seated on her haunches with exaggerated thighs and torso. The opening of the vessel is through her bundled hair. Possibly a seed jar, this lot is made of gray shell-tempered pottery.

· A Large Zia Polychrome Jar (est. $7,000-10,000), circa 1945; clay and paint, with a diameter of 17 inches