FALLS CHURCH, VA.- On Saturday, October 24, Quinn’s Auction Galleries will offer nearly 600 lots of Pre-Columbian, African and Native-American arts in their first of a series of Ethnographic Art auctions. The sale will feature a wide array of objects for buyers at all price points, and all forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet.

Matthew Quinn, Vice President of Quinn’s Auction Galleries, remarked: “We’re happy to have a chance to offer fresh items to the market that have come to us from local and nationwide estates that we can sell without reserve.”

He went on to explain, “Having collections from the estates of well-known collectors Cora and Laurence C. Witten II, and the late Adele Lebowitz, as well as works from prolific private collectors across the country allows us to present a broad range of items to the public.”

The late Laurence Claiborne Witten II, founder of Laurence Witten Rare Books in New Haven, Connecticut, was as well known for his collection of Pre-Columbian art as he was for his rare books and maps. In this first of multiple sales featuring works from the Witten estate, Quinn’s offers 17 lots of Pre-Columbian gold and metal items, including Lot 70, an impressive 22K gold doubled-headed animal figure pendant weighing over 130 grams.

Similarly, Adele Lebowitz and her husband Mortimer, the founders and owners of Morton’s Department Store in Washington, D.C., were distinguished citizens known as Civil Rights activists, philanthropists, and avid collectors of fine and decorative arts. Their collection includes African, Native-American and Pre-Columbian items.

“Over the years, their interests changed, and the Lebowitzes began acquiring different types of art,” said Quinn. “They collected what they loved, not just what was expensive. That’s why we can have a more-common, but still very interesting Zacatecas figure next to a spectacular example of Mayan pottery.”

“It’s always interesting to see how people collected and what their choices were,” said Quinn. “Many times it’s the private collections that no one has heard of that bring amazing and new pieces to market – that’s most definitely the case with the Alvin M. Cohen collection.” From Bethesda, Maryland, Cohen collected Pre-Columbian, Pre-Classic Mexican, folk art, and African art, which adds to the sale’s diversity.

The line-up also features Native-American and African tribal art from the collections of Stephen R. Primoff of Houston, Texas; and Patrick J. Lusk. One remarkable piece is a pre-1950 Bembe helmet mask made before 1950 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The polychrome-painted and carved-wood helmet is estimated at $1,000-$1,500.

Speaking to the variety of African tribal art in the sale, Quinn said, “We have huge carved pieces that are nearly six feet tall, small figures of less than a foot in height, African trade beads and nearly everything in between. It’s remarkable to see the extent of these collections, there are used tribal pieces and decorative items. There is something for everyone.”

To contact Quinn’s, call 703-532-5632 or email info@quinnsauction.com.