LAS VEGAS, NEV.- Soon collectors of Western and Native-American art and antiques will be off to America’s entertainment capital, Las Vegas, for the mega-event of 2025, as Morphy’s presents its Old West Show & Auction in tandem with the premier Las Vegas Antique Arms Show. On Friday and Saturday, January 24-25, the three attractions will be held conveniently under one roof at the Westgate Casino & Resort, with a comprehensive selection of goods that includes Western art, antiques, jewelry, home décor, cowboy paraphernalia and much more.

Over both days, guests can browse and buy from 800 tables of exceptional items from some of the world’s finest Western dealers and craftsmen, and on opening day, starting at 4pm local time, Morphy’s will take center stage to conduct an exciting live auction. The 495-lot selection includes important and historical Western and Native-American art and antiques; apparel, saddles, spurs, bridles and other equine tack; Wild West Show items, and other early memorabilia. All forms of bidding will be available, including live online through Morphy Live.



The auction is packed with well-provenanced pieces for both advanced collectors and beginners whose focus is squarely on quality and authenticity. The lineup is led by a spectacular Edward H. Bohlin sterling silver and gold parade saddle custom-made in the late 1930s for Louise Cottam of Santa Barbara, California. Its design is a slight variation on the Machris model that debuted in the 1937 Bohlin catalog. The motif features a figure-eight floral pattern and multiple pictorial carvings, including a longhorn on the seat and a beautifully-detailed “let 'er buck” cowboy on the fenders, characteristic of the work of Bohlin leather carver extraordinaire Gabriel Diaz. The saddle is an actual book example appearing in James H Nottage’s Saddlemaker to the Stars and comes with a matching bridle, second breast collar, and saddle set. In 100% original condition and boasting provenance from the George Pitman collection, Rancho Santa Fe, California, it comes to auction with a pre-sale estimate of $100,000-$150,000.

Antique spurs, bridles, and other equine tack have their own dedicated following and are well represented in the January 24 auction. Within the fine array of spurs, a collector would be hard-pressed to find a more desirable pair than the Qualey Bros. silver double-mounted “shield” spurs. Each of these massive productions has a 2¾-inch shank that displays the classic Qualey split-tip, with a 2½-inch rowel. On their insides, each spur is marked Qualey Bros. Joseph Ida, along with an additional single-stamp maker’s mark. The duo is expected to sell in the $20,000-$30,000 range.



A dazzling special-order set of Hollywood spurs made by Bohlin 25 years ago – using the same design, pattern and dies as the original pair Ed Bohlin made for legendary cowboy film star Tom Mix (1880-1940) – is lavishly engraved in four colors of gold. It has raised floral scrollwork with the “TM” brand and Mix’s trademark double-rowels precisely executed to replicate the originals. Estimate: $15,000-$25,000



Yet another stunning pair of high-condition spurs was created by (August) Buermann, a firm that employed the most talented craftsmen of the latter 19th-century and was known for its innovative and influential designs. The #1471 double-mounted sterling silver spurs display the Roosevelt pattern, with full inlays on both sides with a diamond motif, and a large, round center holding a round shank. These spurs retain approximately 90% of their original bluing, with sharp edges and “stars,” large 3-inch sterling dome conchos, and hand-forged markings. With provenance from the Netty and Ted McIntyre collection, they are offered with a $10,000-$15,000 estimate.



Made in the early 1900s, a J Tapia (Southern California) filigreed, overlaid and underlaid coin silver ring-bit on bridle has the maker’s characteristic stylized cheeks and slobber-bar adorned with raised, domed, multi-petal floral spots. Its split-ear California leather headstall is attached to a later set of braided, closed-leather reins with a romel and popper. The auction estimate is $15,000-$20,000.



Every inch a work of art, a highly colorful Yuma Territorial Prison hitched horsehair bridle features a medley of bold zigzag, diamond and stripe patterns. Its details include domed conchos and buttons, black braided-hair foundation, and colored horsehair tassels. In superior condition with its correct iron bit, reins and romel, the bridle could reach a winning bid in the $12,000-$16,000 range.

A fine selection of Native American artifacts includes textiles, silver jewelry, basketry, and beaded saddles, bags and gauntlets; however the top entry in this category is an item of immeasurable historical importance. It is a ledger and story book belonging to Sitting Bull’s nephew, White Bull (1849-1947), that documents several Indian battles in the West. It contains a total of 162 pages, 120 of which are written and 33 with illustrations. Another 28 pages are blank and directly face drawings. “It would not be an overstatement to say that White Bull’s illustrated ledger, which chronicles a crucial period for the Lakota people, is every bit as important to tribal historiography as The Papers of Thomas Jefferson are to the historical context of America’s colonial period,” said Dan Morphy, founder and president of Morphy Auctions. The ledger’s recent provenance includes Morning Star Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Estimate: $75,000-$125,000



Two firearms are especially noteworthy, the first being a classic Colt .44 caliber Frontier Six-Shooter with blue finish and rubber stocks. It is accompanied by a factory letter identifying the gun by serial number as having been sent in a shipment of one to Russell Sporting Goods Co, New York City, on November 3, 1926, specifically for the celebrated Western artist C.M. Russell (1864-1926). Russell was known to visit New York during winter months for its art shows, so it is reasonable to assume that he might have had it shipped there specifically for personal collection during the art-show season. Unfortunately, Russell passed away eight days before the gun was shipped, so it understandably passed into the Russell family’s hands. Steeped in Old West history and directly connected to one of the greatest of all American artists, the revolver is estimated at $50,000-$70,000.



The second firearms highlight is a Henry Model 1860 lever-action rifle with a serial number identifying it as being from a 90-gun shipment sent in 1864 to Ft. Knox, Maine, and issued to Lt Ezra Rideout of the 15th Maine Infantry Regiment. Stamped Ft. KNOX MAINE, it was gifted in 1869 to Ezra’s brother, Jacob Rideout, a traveling preacher whose documented acquaintances included Wild Bill Hickok, John Wesley Hardin, the infamous sheriff Buffalo Bully Brooks, and quite likely the Earp brothers. The rifle is engraved Jacob Rideout / Contention Arizona Ter., and is the actual example featured in both the George Madis-authored Winchester book, and The Historic Henry Rifle by Wiley Sword. Estimate: $30,000-$40,000


Western art continues to gain popularity, not only with those who are drawn to the specialty, but also to discerning collectors of fine art in general. The January 24 auction includes an excellent selection from which to choose. W H D Koerner’s (1878-1938) Jubilo Where Did You Sleep Last Night is an oil-on-canvas measuring 24 inches by 36 inches (sight) and is signed and dated 1919 at its lower-right corner. Estimate: $30,000-$40,000. Also recommended is A D M Cooper’s (1856-1924) untitled oil-on-canvas painting of a nude woman with Lucifer. A quintessential example of the type of large-format paintings that made Cooper famous from their display in saloons across America and abroad, the auction painting measures 107 inches by 55½ inches, is artist-signed and dated 1905. That year falls within the period during which Cooper flourished and created his most famous works. Estimate: $25,000-$35,000

The Friday, January 24, 2025 live auction will be held live in the Ballroom at the Westgate Casino & Resort, 3000 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89109. Start time: 4pm Pacific time / 7pm Eastern time. All forms of remote bidding will be available, including absentee, by phone, and live via the Internet through Morphy Live. Onsite auction preview: Jan. 23 from 5-7pm PST and Jan. 24 from 9-4 PST. For questions about any item in the auction or to reserve a phone line, call toll-free 877-968-8880 or email info@morphyauctions.com. View the full catalog online and sign up to bid at https://www.morphyauctions.com. Learn more about the Las Vegas Antique Arms Show at https://www.antiquearmsshow.com. Visit Morphy’s Old West Events online at https://www.oldwestevents.com.