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.
SebastianCharles Auctions bid@sebastiancharles.com
Lot 31

Victor Coochwytewa Hopi Large Silver Overlay Cuff

Estimate: $400 - $800
Starting Bid
$200

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

Marked on the interior of the cuff. 

 

Size: 6 3/4" Circumference w/ 1" Opening 

Width: 2" 

Total Weight: 85.6g 

 

Condition: Light surface scratches throughout the cuff. Please see images for details. 

 

Artist Bio: Victor Coochwytewa did as much as anyone to set the standard for Hopi overlay, the technique in which a design is cut through one sheet of silver and soldered onto a second, so the pattern stands out in bright silver against a darkened ground. Born in 1922 at Shungopavi on Second Mesa, he began making jewelry in 1940 alongside Paul Saufkie. After serving in the South Pacific in World War II, where he earned a Purple Heart, he came home in 1946 and became one of the first students in the silversmithing classes Saufkie and Fred Kabotie organized for Hopi veterans under the G.I. Bill.

His lasting contribution was technical. He is credited as the first Hopi smith to texture the base plate beneath the overlay, a change in finish the whole tradition adopted and still follows. In the 1970s he was among the first Hopi artists to work overlay in 14k gold, and he was later named an Arizona Indian Living Treasure. Through it all he called himself a farmer first, tended his corn and remained a religious leader at Hopi until his death in 2011. This large cuff shows the overlay method he helped define.

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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