lot of 4, all with an old museum number. includes a finely coiled juncus basket with four birds and two "tree" figures, height 3 in. x diameter 6.25 in.; PLUS another coiled basket, possibly Southern California, with stylized dark floral motifs, height 5 in. x diameter 7.5 in.; PLUS a coiled juncus basket with upright walls decorated with true yellow verticals and dark bands of stacked geometrics, height 4 in. x diameter 7.5 in.; AND a coiled juncus tray, possibly Mission, designed with whirling wind motif, diameter 5.25 in. This last with an original label reading: Imperial Valley Calif. The Whirling Wind. Dr. David Blackwell Hill (1887-1979) Dr. Hill purchased American Indian art long before it was fashionable, in fact long before there were books written to educate the public about the beautiful objects America’s first peoples made. We can only speculate about how Dr. Hill knew to purchase some of the best of the best. Perhaps, as a Manhattanite, he saw the successful 1931 Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts at the Grand Central Art Gallery in New York City. This was the first exhibit designed specifically to show Indian cultural material (pottery, weavings, beadwork, etc.) as “Art.” Amelia Elizabeth White was one of the organizers of this watershed exposition and, at that time, already owned an Indian shop, Ishauu, later named the Gallery of American Indian Art, on Madison Avenue. One wonders if some of the items might have come from her store. Hill was born in Hopewell, Mercer Co., NJ. After graduating from medical school in 1910, he married Janet A. Hurd and worked as a physician in New York City until 1952. The Hills resided on the Upper West Side, later moving to the Upper East Side. Upon Hill’s retirement the couple moved to Altadena, CA, where Hill died on May 9, 1979. Hill gave his American Indian art collection to the Hopewell Museum in 1966. Provenance: Deaccessioned from the Hopewell Museum, Hopewell, NJ; Collected and Donated by Dr. David B. Hill (1887-1979) Condition: All baskets in amazing condition, two with 5-10 stitches missing around coiled rim. Condition requests can be obtained via email (danica@cowans.com) or by telephone (513-871-1670). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Cowan's Auctions shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
lot of 4, all with an old museum number. includes a finely coiled juncus basket with four birds and two "tree" figures, height 3 in. x diameter 6.25 in.; PLUS another coiled basket, possibly Southern California, with stylized dark floral motifs, height 5 in. x diameter 7.5 in.; PLUS a coiled juncus basket with upright walls decorated with true yellow verticals and dark bands of stacked geometrics, height 4 in. x diameter 7.5 in.; AND a coiled juncus tray, possibly Mission, designed with whirling wind motif, diameter 5.25 in. This last with an original label reading: Imperial Valley Calif. The Whirling Wind. Dr. David Blackwell Hill (1887-1979) Dr. Hill purchased American Indian art long before it was fashionable, in fact long before there were books written to educate the public about the beautiful objects America’s first peoples made. We can only speculate about how Dr. Hill knew to purchase some of the best of the best. Perhaps, as a Manhattanite, he saw the successful 1931 Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts at the Grand Central Art Gallery in New York City. This was the first exhibit designed specifically to show Indian cultural material (pottery, weavings, beadwork, etc.) as “Art.” Amelia Elizabeth White was one of the organizers of this watershed exposition and, at that time, already owned an Indian shop, Ishauu, later named the Gallery of American Indian Art, on Madison Avenue. One wonders if some of the items might have come from her store. Hill was born in Hopewell, Mercer Co., NJ. After graduating from medical school in 1910, he married Janet A. Hurd and worked as a physician in New York City until 1952. The Hills resided on the Upper West Side, later moving to the Upper East Side. Upon Hill’s retirement the couple moved to Altadena, CA, where Hill died on May 9, 1979. Hill gave his American Indian art collection to the Hopewell Museum in 1966. Provenance: Deaccessioned from the Hopewell Museum, Hopewell, NJ; Collected and Donated by Dr. David B. Hill (1887-1979) Condition: All baskets in amazing condition, two with 5-10 stitches missing around coiled rim. Condition requests can be obtained via email (danica@cowans.com) or by telephone (513-871-1670). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Cowan's Auctions shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
