Mexican General Rafael Avila Camacho (1904-1975)

Lot 114: Historic Hollywood Parade Saddle, Accessories and personal Artifacts belonging to Mexican General Rafael Avila Camacho (1904-1975)


Black floral carved silver mounted Southern California parade ensemble maker-marked Hollywood Saddlery Ltd., circa 1940, with black & white wool Corona. Includes matching Breast Collar plus Bridle and Reins with outstanding Mexican Bit. The saddle is artfully mounted with finely engraved silvered cantle, gullet and swell caps, and adorned with sterling silver diamonds bordering the fenders, skirts and tapaderos. 

Lot includes Camacho’s floral carved and monogrammed Scabbard with silver adornments; his impressive studded Mexican Chapaderos with wide initialed carved leather belt, and military insignia, plus a framed, enamel Tin Plaque commemorating his heroic military service from 1921-23. There is also one 1949 studio photograph of the General participating in a parade mounted on this very saddle and another picture showing him participating in a function when he was Governor of the state of Puebla.


Provenance: Acquired in 2014 from Carlos Moreno Vasquez who purchased the saddle and accessories directly from descendants of the Avila Camacho family that continue to reside in Teziutlan, Puebla, Mexico today. 

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold 14,950

An Essential Feature of Indian Regalia

Lot 58: Hunkpapa Lakota (Sioux) Pictorial Tobacco Bag

Classic Swallowtail style favored by Sitting Bull’s band of Hunkpapa Lakota. Beadwork depicts a dismounted Warbonnet Warrior engaged in battle, arrows flying toward him. Surrounded by enemy horse tracks, he wields a revolver in each hand protecting his wounded horse. The blue roan stallion on the opposite side of the bag wears a pad saddle and has two wounds on the hip, with an arrow protruding from one. His tail is tied up and bound for battle. 32” long overall x 7” wide. 

"Beaded tobacco bags were an essential feature of male regalia, holding their sacred pipe smoking regalia and often depicting their notable deeds." - Cathy A. Smith, Lakota Historian, Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honoree.

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $18,150

The Art of William Moyers & John Moyers

We find ourselves fortunate to be able to offer the art of both William & John Moyers. We are all such big fans.

Lot 157: William Moyers (1916 - 2010) 

Rope for a Bunch Drifter
Oil on board
24" x 36" 
Signed lower left: WM MOYERS CA (c)
Framed to 32" x 44"

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $5,900

Lot 177: John Moyers (b. 1958)

Road to Taos
Oil on canvas
30" x 30" 
Signed lower right:  John Moyers CA
Framed to 37" x 37" 

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $7,080

Breaking the Monotony of Frontier Garrison Life

Lot 304: Springfield 1875 2nd Type Officer’s Model Sporting

NVSN, .45-70 caliber, 26” inch barrel, Springfield 1875 2nd Type Officer’s Model Sporting Rifle, “Trapdoor”. Crisp, deep engraving on hammer, lock plate, trigger guard, receiver, breech block, barrel band, fore end cap and butt plate. Correct tang and front folding peep sights, Model 1879 rear barrel sight. Crisp, deep checkering on oil finish stock, removable pistol grip, set trigger and cleaning rod are present. No cartouche, as is correct. Clear firing proof at point of checkering. CONDITION: excellent bright bore, 95% arsenal barrel blue, shadowy case colors on block and barrel band, 50% silver/nickel on fore end cap, deep rich walnut is almost a red in color, minor use dings on wood, smooth “iron blue” on furniture, overall a very pleasing example of a rare frontier firearm.

These sporting rifles were offered for sale to officers in the west during the 1870s. The possibility of hunting to break the monotony of frontier garrison life, plus adding wild game to the table, made these rifles attractive. The engraving (done at Springfield Armory), rarity (approximately 250 Type 2 rifles produced) and overall “look” of the rifle makes it one of the most sought-after trapdoor rifles produced during their long period of use.

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $19,550

Dawson Gold Fob

Lot 248: 18k Gold Miner's Watch Fob on Nugget Chain

Great old mining fob with a spread-winged eagle perched atop a miner’s crossed pick and shovel, set above a diamond centered star. 1 1/8” diameter. Attached to a 17” nugget chain with a 1 3/4” bar. Medallion is marked “SCHUMAN 18K DAWSON”. 46.5 grams.

Oral history: The nuggets were prospected by the original owner in the gold fields of Colorado on his way to Yukon Territory. Once there, he had his chain constructed by a local jeweler in Dawson City. 

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $11,500

Saloon Bottles

Lots 404-414: Eleven total lots of hard-to-find saloon back bar bottles, including both enamel and paper labels. To see all eleven lots, please click here.

Lot 407
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $1,150

Lot 406
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $1,089

Lot 413
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $345

Museum Benefit

Lot 6: Kenneth Bunn
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $590

Lot 3: Donald Spaulding
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $2,185

Lots 1-11. 

We continue to offer items from the collection of the Jackie Coles Collection from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Western museums such as these are instrumental in preserving our western history and heritage, and I hope you will all support the museum of your choosing whenever you can.

We are honored to offer items from the Jackie Coles Collection. Mrs. Coles was a long-time patron and docent volunteer at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. One of her passions was contemporary western art, which she pursued vigorously throughout her life. In 2009 the Jacquelyn L. Coles Revocable Trust donated a portion of her western art collection to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum for the expressed wishes of generating funds to be used for educational programs, collection conservation, exhibitions and the creation of a special “Jackie Coles Art Award.” The sale of her artwork is a condition of that portion of the gift. Being sold to benefit the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Program and Acquisition Funds.

To see all eleven lots, please visit click

 

Lot 8: Joni Falk
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $1,495

Exquisite Mexican Saddle

Lot 207: Elegant 1900s Mexican Saddle by Lozano

Intricately detailed light brown 1900s Mexican Saddle with long saddle bags artfully designed with a scalloped border and adorned with a combination of deep floral carving; lavish two-tone pitiado (yucca fiber) with a Greek Key border design framing an embroidered grape-vine pattern with grape clusters cleverly fabricated from fine silver threads. Silver mountings include a figural repousse flat horn, maker stamped “E ROMAN / MEXICO”, repousse adornments on the fork, swell and gullet, plus heavy gauge slotted silver conchos and lavish stirrups. Highly detailed silver repousse stirrups. The cowhide seat cover was added many years ago but is not original to the rawhide seat and should be removable. Excellent overall condition including original cinch. Marked: TALABARTERIA DAVID LOZANO CALLE DE ZULETA / MEXICO / 589. / 4=8=1904.

Provenance: Acquired by German Industrialist Hans Koch (1893-1945) in Mexico around 1900. Koch was a member of the “Cowboy Club of Munich” established in 1913 and a passionate collector of American antiques. Koch was also a lawyer, State Commissar of the Berlin Stock Exchange and a member of the German resistance against the Nazis.

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $16,520

Striking Sioux Dress

Lot 187: Lakota Sioux Beaded Hide Dress

Striking Sioux dress on native tanned hide with traces of red pigment. Geometric design beadwork on the blue yoke in white-heart red, amber, blue, yellow and black. Fringe drops at beaded accents adorn both sides. The dress measures 56" at it longest length, 45" shoulder to shoulder with 3" fringe on chest, arms and the body of the dress.
Ex: Jim Strouse Collection - Golden, CO

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $17,250

1864 Henry

Lot 276: Henry Rifle

S/N 6500, honest frontier Henry Rifle, 24” barrel. Matching numbers on barrel, tang, butt plate and stock; top tang broken during period of use and ingeniously repaired with a steel wedge, no heat applied, old crack and repair in wrist, probably caused by the same fall that damaged tang, very well-made large buckhorn rear sight, 1864. CONDITION:  Bore has black powder oxidation, heaviest at the muzzle, good rifling; barrel and magazine have scattered pin prick pitting, iron surfaces are dark brown to silver, brass is untouched mustard color, various use dings, wood fits to butt plate but not receiver, either top or bottom tang is out of alignment due to accident that caused the break, missing magazine spring, some screws replaced.  

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction, January 23, 2016
Sold $10,925

The Pulp Collection of Publisher Arthur Bernhard

A strong offering pulp pieces are crossing the auction block from the estate of publisher, Arthur Bernhard, who collected the original art from the paperback covers he commissioned. Here's a few of our favorites:

Lot 137: Pulp Art Painting
Untitled: Cowboy Shooting a Maxim or Vickers Water-Cooled Machine Gun with a Damsel at his Feet
Acrylic on board
30" x 20"
Unsigned
Framed to 35" x 25"
Provenance: From the Arthur Bernhard collection.
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold  $708

Lot 138: Pulp Art Painting
Untitled: Cowboy Defending his Wagon
Oil on board
18" x 12"
Unsigned
Framed to 24" x 18"
Provenance: From the Arthur Bernhard collection.
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $354

Lot 140: Pulp Art Painting
Buckskin Scout
Oil on canvas
24" x 13 3/4" 
Unsigned
Framed to 29" x 18 14"
Provenance: From the Arthur Bernhard collection.
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $236

Frontier Photographer

422: L.A. Huffman (1854-1931)

"Roundup Outfit on Move 4:30 a.m."
Hand tinted original collotype photograph
7" x 18 1/2"
Signed lower right in white "photo * (c) L A Huffman Miles City, Mont.", titled in white lower left.
Framed to: 14 1/4" x 25 1/4"
Slight foxing evident throughout the image, but still bright with no fading.

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $1,888

United States Peace Medal

Lot 245: Ulysses S. Grant / Chief Joseph Peace Medal

United States Peace Medals have a long and storied history. They are very scarce and have been copied for quite some time. Finding an original medal is something special but finding a medal with a connection to a famous Chief is extraordinary. This is a true United States of America Presidential Peace Medal struck in 1871. It is a Ulysses S. Grant issue and the only medal issued by the government without the name of the President whose image is on the medal. This particular piece has a long history connecting it to the noted Nez Perce Chief Joseph. It is believed that this medal was presented to Joseph on the occasion of the dedication of Grant's Tomb. It is known that 300 Grant medals were struck by the U.S. Mint and delivered to the Indian Office in 1871, all pure silver and 2.55" in diameter.

It is also believed this medal is the same example photographed by Dr. Edward Latham in 1902. These images are in the University of Washington Libraries Collection Division (catalog numbers NA954 & NA955). A caption on the negative sleeve for the Grant side of the medal reads: "Bronze medal presented to Chief Joseph by President Grant in 1871."
 
Literature: "Chief Joseph's Presidential Medal" by Alan L. Hoover 2015. A copy of the book is included with the medal. 


From, "Chief Joseph's Presidential Medal" by Alan L. Hoover, 2015, pages 7-8.
“Introduction
   In 2015 a Ulysses S. Grant silver Presidential Peace Medal was purchased from a Walla Walla collector. In 1962 the collector’s father had purchased the silver Grant medal from a young Nez Perce man who was acting on behalf of Cornelius Talatoy, the son of Chief Tow-at-way, a nephew of the famous Nez Perce leader “Heinmot Tooyalakekt” also known as Young Joseph and then Chief Joseph after his father died in 1871. Following Chief Joseph’s death in September 1904, a huge traditional “give-away” of all of Joseph’s possessions took place in 1905. His three nephews, identified as Ollicutt, Black Eagle of Montana and Chief Tow-at-way played a prominent role in the ceremonies. According to a contemporary newspaper report the three nephews received important regalia described as “The great war bonnets and war clothing”… The identification of “Talatoy” / “Tow-at-way” / “Tawatoy” as one of Joseph’s nephews and his presence at Joseph’s “give-away” (memorial feast) in 1905 suggests that he received the medal at that event. Chief Tow-at-way died three years later in 1908. His son Cornelius Talatoy sold the medial in 1962.”

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $37,375

A Salt Lick at Sunset

We are delighted to offer another vibrant work by  Howard Post!

Lot 154: Howard Post (b. 1948)

Untitled: Trio of Horses at Sunset
Oil on canvas
55" x 44"
Signed lower right: H E POST (c)
Framed to: 59" x 47"

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auctions - January 23, 2016
Sold $27,225

Fine Assortment of Luis B. Oretga

Included in the 2016 Mesa auction are six Ortega braided pieces:

Lot 108: Luis B. Ortega Black Rawhide Presentation Reins
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $2,655

Lot 109: Luis B. Ortega Fancy Rawhide Show Reins
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $3,450

Lot 110: Luis B. Ortega Presentation Reins
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $4,130

111_1.jpg

Lot 111: Luis B. Ortega Headstall and Reins
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $5,750

Lot 112: Luis B. Ortega Presentation Reins
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $4,425

Lot 113: Luis B. Ortega Presentation Hobbles
Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $1,416

Possibly L D Nimschke

Lot 281: Winchester 1866 Engraved Rifle

S/N 36049, 24” barrel, Winchester 1866 Engraved Rifle. “XX” wood and so marked on tang, deep clean flowing engraving, possibly L D Nimschke; scroll “L” on tang, original 4-piece cleaning rod in butt, originally silver washed, correct “Sporting Leaf” barrel sight, very early exposed spring “Peep Sight” and globe front sight, 1870. CONDITION: Bore has good rifling with black powder oxidation the length of the bore, harshest at muzzle; barrel and magazine retain 60% blue turning plum and thinning with scattered pin prick oxidation; brass is smooth and mellow, engraving is in excellent condition, tang sight is very rough with broken spring, front sight has pin & ball post, mechanically excellent.

Very few engravers actually marked their work, Nimschke and the Ulrichs are the most seen. In Wilson’s “Winchester Engraving” he states that Nimschke has 13 recorded signatures but does not list them all. This rifle has been in a private collection for years and is new to the market.

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $12,980

An Instant Collection

Lot 427: Collection of over 580 Bridle Rosettes

Extensive collection including celluloid, glass & metal examples. Pictorials, numbers and letters. US military, civilian, many on original cards. There are a total of over 580 rosettes for bridles, harness, spur straps, buttons, etc. 50 Celluloid, 287 glass, 233 metals, 14 glass domes, 206 are in pairs and 172 are singles. This collection would take years to put together and did. Some are very scarce and all are very decorative. 

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $1,573

Authentic Cowboy Outfit

Lot 27: Identified Authentic Cowboy Outfit

A complete and western-used cowboy outfit, identified to William Rolston. As the accompanying photos show, he knew quality goods and wore pieces from some of the best makers. The items are all circa 1900. 
The lot consists of:
a) Well-worn cowboy hat from the Philadelphia Store, Cheyenne, with studded and woven band.
b) F.A. Meanea, Cheyenne, Wyoming matching Money Belt & Holster for a 5 3/4" Single Action Colt. The double loop holster is a lined example with center rosette and muzzle plug. The matching money belt has a double row of loops. Both are in very good condition. 
c) Pair of Batwing Chaps marked S. C Gallup, Pueblo, CO. Well-worn with studded edges and slotted conchos.
d) Cotton Scarf or cowboy wild rag.
e) A great unmarked pair of silver inlaid California spurs in the Larios or San Jose style. Opposing crescent moon bands with center dome, the off-side deeply chased. Double heel chains and 1 1/4" rowels. All original. Straps are rotting from the spurs.
f) His grass rope or lariat.
g) Pair of leather wrist cuffs with studded edge.
h) Original photo of Rolston wearing the outfit, circa 1904, along with several other photos of him. 
i) Etching, Signed Lower Right: S. Pugsley, Titled: ROLSTONS CABIN - 48/100, Framed to 12" x 13 1/2".
Exhibited: Autry Museum of the American West
Includes file with type-written letter and other ephemera detailing biographical information about Rolston's cowboy days in Lusk, Wyoming, as well as information about pieces of the outfit, purchased mostly in Cheyenne.

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $8,625

Well Documented Borein Watercolor

Lot 172: Edward Borein (1872 - 1945)

Trail Drive
Watercolor
8 1/2" x 9 1/2"
Signed lower right: Edward Borein
Framed to 17 1/4" x 17 3/8"

Exhibitions: “Ed Borein: The Real Thing,” Bradford Brinton Memorial Museum, 5/15/1992-9/7/1992, pictured on the front of the catalog (included).
“Edward Borein: The Update, The Watercolors and Drawings,” Harold Davidson, Santa Barbara 1991, pictured page 161.
“Edward Borein: On the Range,” Nevada Museum of Art, 12/10/1999-2/6/2000, listed on page 56.
Coloring the West: Watercolors and Oils by Edward Borein,” Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 10/25/2007-2/17/2008, pictured page 30. 

Brian Lebel's High Noon Auction - January 23, 2016
Sold $51,750