Northwest Coast Chilkat Blanket and More Native American Art at Bonhams

Available in Bonhams’ upcoming Native American Art sale is a Northwest Coast Chilkat blanket from the noted collection of Gene Zema of Seattle, WA. Associated with the Tlingit and Haida people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America, Chilkat blankets often include abstract representations of wild animals. The blankets are traded by Indigenous people and displayed as rare works of art. However, they were originally intended to be worn around the body during dances and other events, draped like a shawl. The offered blanket features a whale motif, with the animal’s features appearing abstractly and in symmetrical positions. Some scholars suggest that the blanket depicts a mythical sea creature called the GonaqAde’t, a bringer of power and good fortune. 

Another notable lot in this auction is a Cáuigú/Ka’igwu (Kiowa) young girl’s beaded dress and high-top moccasins, available together in a single lot. The dress is decorated with ochre and light blue pigmentation, twisted fringe, and cowrie shells. This auction of Native American Art also presents numerous household items and decorative artworks, including a Northwest Coast bentwood food box and a polychrome plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Collectors can consider additional works by José Rafael Aragón, Anna Hughes, and Mattie James. Visit Bonhams to view the complete Native American Art catalog and register to bid.