LOS ANGELES, CA.- John Moran Auctioneer’s presented their Art of the American West sale at 10:00am PST on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. This auction, having over 300 lots, featured numerous collections, including property from The Estate of George David Sturges, Melinda Wayne Munoz, alongside estate property from Utah, Arizona, California, and beyond. Leading the sale were works by Logan Maxwell Hagege, a New West Furniture Co. Molesworth-Style sofa from the Gregory Sierra Collection, and a cigar store Native American figure in the style of Samuel Robb, circa 1890-1910.
Lot 3069 presented the Logan Maxwell Hagege work, Dry Air from 2012. Hagege is a Los Angeles based contemporary artist with a modern western style. His paintings are known to depart from strict realism where his work draws strength and where his vision is fed by a mix of nature and imagination. This example of “stylized realism,” a term coined by Hagege, achieved the highest result of the sale at a whopping $22,500 (including buyer’s premium).
This sale offered an impressive selection of furniture, which included some Molesworth-Style pieces. Lot 3182, a New West Furniture Co. Molesworth-Style sofa was the standout, bringing in $18,750 (including buyer’s premium). The original Molesworth line was created by the western designer, Thomas Molesworth, but since it’s last production in 1961, furniture makers have continued the iconic style.
Done in the style of well-known woodcarver, Samuel Robb was lot 3172, a cigar store Native American figure, circa 1890-1910. Robb started his career making figures for tobacco shops, eventually opening his own carving shop. He carved a wide variety of figures, from traditional cigar store American Indians to circus wagons and ventriloquist dummies. This figure surpassed its original estimate of $6,000-8,000 and ended up earning $18,750 (including buyer’s premium).
An item that sparked a surprising interest was lot 3132, a bass drum from Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Band. Gordon William Lillie (February 14, 1860 – February 3, 1942), known professionally as “Pawnee Bill”, was an American showman and performer who specialized in Wild West shows. In 1888, Lillie and his wife launched their own Wild West show, which they called "Pawnee Bill’s Historic Wild West". Their first season was a financial disaster. They re-organized as a smaller operation called "Pawnee Bill’s Historical Wild West Indian Museum and Encampment Show” which turned out to be popular and financially successful. Between online and phone bids, this drum brought in an impressive $12,500 (including buyer’s premium).
Of the 15+ bronze works in this sale, a David Manuel sculpture proved to be the favorite. John Wayne, Hondo, Lane, and Sam, 1986, lot 3033, achieved $10,625 (including buyer’s premium). David Manuel was an American sculptor known for creating works that tackle issues related to American expansionism and the ‘American Empire’ through renderings of Native Americans and pioneers traveling the American frontier. Over the course of his career, the artist has been commissioned by the government to create a number of public works, including a series of statues of John Wayne.
Another noteworthy example of fine art was lot 3234, Monarch of the Arctic, 1956, by the Alaskan painter and illustrator, Fred Machetanz. Machetanz specialized in depictions of Alaskan scenes, often portraying people and wildlife. This stunning painting of a polar bear reached a final value of $7,500 (including buyer’s premium).
—Brenda Smith, John Moran Auctioneers
