SebastianCharles Auctions
Live Auction

Native American Art & Jewelry

Tue, Dec 1, 2026 02:00PM EST
  2026-12-01 14:00:00 2026-12-01 14:00:00 America/New_York SebastianCharles Auctions SebastianCharles Auctions : Native American Art & Jewelry https://bid.sebastiancharles.com/auctions/sebastiancharles-auctions/native-american-art-jewelry-25135
Bidding is now open for our Native American Art & Jewelry auction, Day 1 of our three-day December sale, featuring Navajo, Zuni and Hopi silver and turquoise jewelry, Navajo rugs, Pueblo pottery, baskets, kachinas and carvings. Highlights include a Toby Henderson sterling and turquoise kachina sculpture, a Victor Coochwytewa Hopi overlay cuff and an Anthony Lovato tufa cast cuff, alongside pieces by Lewis Lomay, Peter and Dinah Gasper, Emma Lewis and Lowell Talashoma Sr., and more. Auction is Tuesday, December 1st at 1 PM CST. Local pickup is December 7th, 8th and 9th from 1 to 5 PM at 5263 Edina Industrial Blvd, Edina, MN. Shipping is available on all lots.
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Lot 28

Shirley Quam Zuni Sterling & Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Needlepoint Cuff

Estimate: $300 - $600
Starting Bid
$150

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$250 $25
$1,000 $50
$2,000 $100
$4,000 $250
$10,000 $500
$20,000 $1,000
$50,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
$500,000 $10,000

Size: 6 1/2" Circumference w/ 1 1/2" Opening 

Width: 1/2" 

Total Weight: 22.9g 

 

Condition: Minor tarnishing and surface scratches. Otherwise, the cuff presents well. Please see images for details. 

 

About: Needlepoint is one of the most exacting styles in Zuni lapidary work. Each stone is cut by hand into a slim, tapered shape pointed at both ends, then set in its own silver bezel, so a single bracelet can hold dozens of matched slivers of turquoise arranged in rows or rosettes. It grew out of the cluster work Zuni jewelers developed in the mid-twentieth century and became one of the pueblo's signature styles, along with its rounder cousin, petit point.

The Quam name runs deep in that tradition. John and Bonnie Quam worked in cluster and needlepoint from the 1950s, Alice Quam (1929-2003) was another documented Zuni jeweler of that name, and Shirley Quam works in the same fine style today. Sleeping Beauty turquoise, from the mine of that name near Globe, Arizona, became a favorite stone for needlepoint because of its clear, even sky blue and its lack of matrix, which lets a field of small stones read as one color. The mine stopped producing turquoise in 2012. This cuff by Shirley Quam is set in needlepoint with Sleeping Beauty turquoise.

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All out-of-state buyers: we will assume your items require shipping and will coordinate it for you unless a lot is specifically marked for local pickup only or other arrangements are made with us in advance. For smaller eligible items, including jewelry, coins, sterling silver, and select small objects, we handle shipping in-house. These shipments are fully insured, require a signature, and include a $10 handling fee added to the final shipping cost. For all other items, we coordinate shipping through a local UPS Store or another appropriate third-party shipper. Once your auction invoice has been paid, the next invoice you receive will be a separate shipping invoice directly from the shipping provider. That invoice must be paid before your items are shipped. If you prefer to use your own shipper or arrange a third-party pickup, you must let us know within 2 days of the auction closing. We will coordinate release of the items once arrangements are confirmed. To help prevent fraud, shipments will only be sent to the billing address tied to the payment method unless payment is made by wire transfer and approved in advance. All items are shipped with full declared value and full insurance. Buyers are responsible for all packing, shipping, insurance, duties, taxes, and any import or export fees. International shipping is handled on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by us before bidding. Questions can be sent to bid@sebastiancharles.com