Mesa Convention Center | January 21-23, 2022 | Mesa, AZ

Material History

Fine and functional art returns to Brian Lebel’s Mesa Old West Show in Arizona.

The artwork comes in almost every material imaginable: glass, wood, ceramic, bark and grass, paint on canvas and board, paper, leather and animal hide, turquoise and coral, and lots of metals, including silver, gold, steel and bronze. Walking through a Brian Lebel Old West show or auction, it becomes abundantly clear that art and history have few limitations. And that is certainly the case when Lebel comes back to Mesa, Arizona, on January 21.

Edward H. Bohlin (1895-1980), Bohlin’s personal spurs, ca. 1940s, sterling and yellow, red and green gold overlay with accents on stainless spurs. Estimate: $100/125,000

Edward H. Bohlin (1895-1980), Bohlin’s personal spurs (detail), ca. 1940s, sterling and yellow, red and green gold overlay with accents on stainless spurs. Estimate: $100/125,000

Brian Lebel’s Mesa Old West Show & Auction is making a big return to Arizona, especially after a modified auction-only event in 2021 caused by Covid-19. Although health protocols could change, Lebel is confident the show will be back and better than ever. “We go into these things very carefully, because it can always change, but this one feels really good and it’s looking like it might be a full show,” he says, adding that he quickly sold out on more than 150 dealer booths and the auction will be two sessions, with around 400 lots in each. “People are ready to come back, and not just to the auction, but to the full show. These dealers are friends, and many have been with me for nearly 35 years, so it’s going to feel good to have them back in Mesa.”

The Mesa Old West Show & Auction features two evening sales, held on January 21 and 22, and a two-day dealer show held on January 22 and 23. The auction portion takes place at the Delta Marriott in Mesa, Arizona, while the show takes place at the Mesa Convention Center next door to the hotel. Lebel’s dealer shows have a rich history in both Western and Native American collecting circles, and they routinely feature top dealers from all around the country. It’s here on the floor of the dealer show where guests encounter all of the wonderful materials, some of which aren’t typically seen at a Western art show. Items include fine art paintings and bronzes, but also a variety of other Western items such as Sharps rifles or Winchester repeaters, vintage bits and spurs, parade saddles, Pueblo pottery, Navajo weavings, movie posters, Native American jewelry, hats, chaps, boots and so much more.

Edward H. Bohlin (1895-1980), Bohlin’s personal spurs (detail), ca. 1940s, sterling and yellow, red and green gold overlay with accents on stainless spurs. Estimate: $100/125,000

And Lebel’s shows often feature experts in all of the different categories. “We’re very proud of the dealers we have,” he says. “In Santa Fe this summer, when the city was forcing us to reduce our numbers to 65 dealers, people might have thought, ‘Why would I want to come if there’s only 65 dealers?’ Well, my response then was that these were the 65 best dealers in the country. You wouldn’t have to wander far to talk to the professionals about whatever it was you were inquiring about.”

He adds, “Of course, I’m very happy we will have more than 65 dealers this time. We’re expecting more than 150.”

Carl Oscar Borg (1879-1947), Untitled: Navajo Visit, watercolor and ink on paper, 7½ x 8½”. From the Dick & Daro Flood Family Collection. Estimate: $2,5/3,500

Highlights from the sale include the Dick Flood Sr. and Daro Flood Family Collection, which will be offered during the first session on January 21. Dick Flood was the founder of the influential Trailside Galleries, which is still bringing top-quality Western artwork to collectors today. The Flood collection includes hundreds of paintings, sketches, etchings, bronzes and more. Much of the collection is Western material, but key portions are from Native American artists, including numerous pieces of silver and turquoise jewelry. The Floods made meticulous records about their art, and much of it was saved in boxes that were sent to Lebel for the auction. “I started with 65 file boxes of materials,” he says. “I’m down to eight left. It’s been quite a process going through it all and matching it to pieces in the collection. And what’s remarkable is I’m still finding things tucked into piles of paper or books.”

Carl Oscar Borg (1879-1947), Untitled: Navajo Visit, watercolor and ink on paper, 7½ x 8½”. From the Dick & Daro Flood Family Collection. Estimate: $2,5/3,500

One aspect of the Flood collection are materials from the Joe De Yong estate, which was given to the Floods following De Yong’s passing in 1975. The artist was a close friend and protégé of Charles M. Russell, and also mentored up-and-coming artists of his day, including Joe Beeler and others. In addition to archival material and artwork, the sale will feature De Yong’s well-used wooden paint palette inscribed to Dick Flood. The palette is estimated at $2,000 to $3,000. “Joe De Yong was a conduit to so many Western painters, and we’re seeing it in these boxes,” Lebel says. “The Floods had so much material from him, including skethbooks, address books, drawings and much more. It’s going to be exciting see all this material available to collectors.”

John Wayne’s 26 Bar Ranch 1969 buckle, sterling, 2 x 33⁄8”, mounted on a Sisco belt presented to Wayne by Ron and Nancy Reagan. Estimate: $25/30,000

One of the top lots of the sale is Edward H. Bohlin’s personal 1940s-era spurs in sterling silver with yellow, red and green gold overlay. Bohlin was a master of cowboy gear, anything in silver and leather, so his personal spurs will likely be fought over at the sale. Estimated at $100,000 to $125,000, the spurs come with a letter from former Eiteljorg Museum curator James H. Nottage, who is the author of Saddlemaker to the Stars: The Leather and Silver Art of Edward H. Bohlin. Nottage details the provenance and exhibition history of the spurs, and also concludes with this passage: “These unique spurs arguably are the finest work of the Bohlin shop. They are of artistic and historic significance that ranks them among the best of spurs created in any shop.”

Herman Hansen (1854-1924), The Challenge, watercolor, 20 x 29½”. From the Dick & Daro Flood Family Collection. Estimate: $4/6,000

Another historical item is a Sharps rifle once owned by Buffalo Bill Cody and given to Louis Shangreau (Sioux) in payment for services. The rifle, known to have been owned by Cody, is estimated at $40,000 to $50,000. “We don’t know if Buffalo Bill ever used the rifle, but we know it went through his hands and looks like it was well used,” Lebel says. “It has a great history and it’s just one of those important pieces that we get in every sale.”

Joe De Yong’s well-used wooden paint pallet, inscribed to Dick Flood in Joe’s distinctive hand. From the Dick & Daro Flood Family Collection. Estimate: $2/3,000

Fine art in the sale includes Untitled: Navajo Visit (est. $2,5/3,500), a watercolor and ink on paper from Carl Oscar Borg; a Thomas Moran 1885 sketch of Green River (est. $3/6,000); Beeler’s bronze Lord of the Southern Plains (est. $10/14,000); Herman Hansen’s watercolor The Challenge (est. $4/6,000); and a playful Maynard Dixon watercolor (est. $5/7,000) from his Dude Ranch series.

Maynard Dixon (1875-1946), Dude Ranch Series, watercolor, 6½ x 5”. From the Dick & Daro Flood Family Collection. Estimate: $5/7,000

Another highlight is John Wayne’s 26 Bar Ranch belt buckle with a Sisco belt that was presented to him by Ron and Nancy Reagan. The 26 Bar was Wayne’s famous hereford cattle ranch near Eager, Arizona. The belt and buckle are estimated at $25,000 to $30,000.

Joe Beeler (1931-2006), Lord of the Southern Plains (Quanah Parker), bronze, 35 x 18½ x 19” Estimate: $10/14,000

Other highlights include a matched set of Morenci turquoise Roger Skeet conchos with Jose Bowannie inlay and a Rolex watch band by Fred Thompson (est. $15/25,000), and a set of Mark Chee silver pistol grips (est. $3/3,500) that were made to fit a Colt Bisley revolver. “These are very rare. In fact, they’re the only pair I’ve ever come cross,” Lebel says. “If there are any more out there then I haven’t run across them. They should be interesting in the sale.”

Western Art Collector magazine is a proud media sponsor of Brian Lebel’s Mesa Old West Show & Auction.

Brian Lebel’s Mesa Old West Show & Auction
January 21-23, 2022
Live auction, Jan. 21-22, 5 p.m.
Show, Jan. 22, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Jan. 23, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, AZ 85201

(480) 779-9378, www.oldwestevents.com