BOSTON, Mass. – August 18, 2005 – www.skinnerinc.com – On Saturday, September 10, 2005, Skinner will kick-off its Fall 2005 season with an auction that is arguably the finest American Indian & Ethnographic Art auction ever held at Skinner. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. , the sale features more than 400 lots of rare and important material from several well-known collectors and museums. Featured offerings includes exceptionally fine selection of American Indian and tribal art and artifacts, including pottery, weavings, and beadwork, as well as three very rare masks from the Northwest Coast, photographs and a wonderful array of basketry. Approximately 100 lots deaccessioned from the Wistariahurst Museum in Holyoke , Mass. will be offered, including the Sherman collection of prehistoric material. Also featured is the Will Soule album of photographs of Southern Plains people, given by him to his sister in the 19 th century. The auction also offers four important weavings descended from the private collection of Edward E. Ayer, one of the earliest collectors American Indian artifacts and the founder of the Field Museum in Chicago, one of the first anthropological museums in the country.

“This is simply some of the best material I’ve ever had the pleasure to bring together at auction, and I’m really excited about this sale” notes Douglas Deihl, Director of Skinner’s American Indian & Ethnographic Arts department. “The vast majority of property in this auction has never been on the market before, and it seems that news of this has already made its way to collectors’ circles. We’ve seen substantial interest in several lots and catalog sales have been steady and climbing. Collectors should not miss this opportunity to bid on these very fine examples of American Indian and tribal culture.”  

Northwest Coast
As with Skinner’s last American Indian auction, the most highly anticipated offerings come from the Northwest Coast . The auction presents three exceptionally rare masks from an early collection. These include a large Kwakiutl killer whale mask (lot 227, estimated $40,000-$60,000), a Nootka chief's mask (lot 234, estimated $20,000-$30,000), and an early Tsimshian example (lot 223, estimated $40,000-$60,000). The sale also includes several masks from other collections, with additional examples by Inuit, Northwest Coast , Cherokee, and Mexican/Central American makers. Other highlights from the Northwest Coast include three very nice small Tlingit carvings, a small shaman figure, and a masquette. Bidders will find an interesting group of Eskimo material, as well; several prehistoric items from the Wistariahurst Museum include six masks, and fine ivory carvings include cribbage boards and small figures.

William Stinson Soule Photographs
One of the most hauntingly beautiful offerings is an album of photographs of Southern Plains People, taken by William Stinson Soule, one of the most celebrated early West photographers who produced wonderful views of the Native Americans of the Plains and their surroundings circa 1867-73. While the album itself had suffered loss over the years, the photographs are in excellent condition. The album (lot 304, estimated $15,000-$20,000) had descended in the family and was housed at the family homestead, in Chelsea , Massachusetts.

Weavings Descended from the Personal Collection of Edward E. Ayer
Weavings represent one of the strongest selections in the auction. Highlights include four late Classic Navajo weavings collected by Edward E. Ayer, and descended through his family (one is lot 420, estimated $20,000-$30,000). They are the last remaining Indian items to have descended within the Ayer family. A R ailroad tycoon, Civil War veteran, Chicago philanthropist, and avid world traveler, Edward Ayer was one of the world’s great collectors of archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, and one of the founders of the Field Museum in Chicago, as well as the institution’s first president. At a time when few people even recognized the historical value of American Indian artifacts, Ayer traveled the west collecting weavings, plains material, pottery, and Western Americana , thus preserving the history, culture and art of Native American peoples and the old west. Ayer was also a long-time trustee of the Field Museum and the driving force in convincing Marshall Field and other wealthy contemporaries of the day to fund the building of this historic institution.

Additional weavings to be offered include eight Navajo Germantown weavings, a nice late Classic third phase chief's blanket (lot 422, estimated $10,000-$15,000), and a Maximillian period Saltillo serape ( Lot 407, estimated $10,000-$15,000). "It's magnificent," says department director Douglas Deihl of the serape.

Southeast
The auction also features selected early items from the Southeast area. One interesting lot is a very rare early Creek beaded sash (lot 177, estimated $10,000-$15,000), which was first seen last summer when Skinner Appraisers toured the country filming the PBS-TV series Antiques Roadshow. A short time after, the owner of the sash contacted Skinner to consign it for auction.

The sale also offers a large group of prehistoric material from the collection of Mr. Gardner M. Sherman, of Springfield , Massachusetts who over a period of 25 years, collected and exchanged more than 12,000 to 16,000 specimens. The material is confined wholly to American archaeology, and is particularly well represented by pipes, gorgets, banner-stones, and pestles. The material offered was collected in the late 19 th century and the Wistariahurst Museum has owned the collection since 1980.

Other Southeast offerings include four masks by Cherokee carver Will West Long, and three fine examples of Seminole patchwork clothing include a woman's dress and bodice, a man's long shirt, and a child's long shirt.

Baskets and Pottery
The sale features nearly 75 lots of basketry. A large collection of California twined baskets is bound to draw attention, as is a very good Apache pictorial basket (lot 33g, estimated $1,500-$2,000), and a remarkable Yokuts coiled example (lot 382, estimated $6,000-$8,000). There is also a fine selection of pottery, highlighted by a 16-inch Margaret Tafoya bear paw jar (lot 269, estimated $8,000-$12,000), and a beautiful four-color Acoma water jar (lot 288, $8,000-$12,000). Additional offerings include a good selection of prehistoric pottery from the Wistariahurst Museum.

Tribal Art and Artifacts
Among the most significant offerings in the auction are four Melanesian masks from New Ireland , off the coast of New Guinea . Also featured in this portion of the sale is a small collection of Pre-Columbian material, including a very nice Nazca textile and two early Hawaiian necklaces, one a feather lei and the other of fine braided hair with an ivory hook pendant. A small group of African masks rounds out the selections in this portion of the sale.

Catalogue and Preview Information
Previews for the auction will be 12 to 5 p.m. Thursday, September 8, 12 to 7 p.m. Friday, September 9, and 8 to 9 a.m. Saturday, September 10. Illustrated catalog #2291 is available by mail for $29 ($35 for foreign requests) from the subscription department at 978-779-6241 x240. It is also available at the gallery for $26. Prices realized will be available at www.skinnerinc.com during and after the sale. For more information, call 978-779-6241, or visit www.skinnerinc.com. Skinner's site also allows users to view all lots in the auctions, leave bids, and order catalogues online.

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About Skinner
Skinner, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading auction houses for antiques and fine art and the only major auction house headquartered in New England .  With expertise in over 20 specialty collecting areas, Skinner draws the interest of buyers from all over the world and its auctions regularly achieve world record prices.  Skinner provides a broad range of auction and appraisal services, and it is widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the auction business.   Skinner’s appraisal experts regularly appear on the PBS-TV series, Antiques Roadshow, and its specialty departments include American Furniture & Decorative Arts, Paintings & Prints, English & Continental Furniture & Decorations, Fine Ceramics, Jewelry, Couture, 20th Century Furniture & Decorative Arts, Fine Musical Instruments, Asian Art, Fine Judaica, Toys, Dolls & Collectibles, Science & Technology, Oriental Rugs & Carpets, American Indian & Ethnographic Art, and Discovery.  Skinner galleries are located in Boston and Bolton , Mass.   For more information on upcoming auctions and events, visit Skinner's web site www.skinnerinc.com.