AT-ZI-DI
Probably Navajo
(1904) Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $1,140.00
(1904) Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, AT-ZI-DI, Uncertain Tribe, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Circa 1904 with incuse letters and illegible lettering at the lower right. The style of this sculpture, with incuse lettering, closely matches that of Yuma Indian Ne-I-So-Meh. The appearance of the individual, with a headband and hair in a bun at the back of the head, closely matches later Navajo natives in the Sawyer series. We know of only two examples of this galvano, both large diameter pieces. The other example is in the collection of the Whitney Western Art Museum in Cody, Wyoming.
ISH-KI-LA-CAI
Probably Navajo
(1904) Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $1,500.00
(1904) Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, ISH-KI-LA-CAI, Uncertain Tribe, Uncertain Location, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Pleasing, semi-glossy olive-brown surfaces. Probably circa 1904, as the last two, with incuse lettering that differs from his other work. The lettering behind the Indian's shoulder is illegible. The hair style and bandana around the Indian's head suggest that AT-ZI-DI in the previous lot, and ISH-KI-LA-CAI in this lot are closely related and likely from the same tribe. We know of only two examples of this galvano, both large diameter pieces. The other example is in the collection of the Whitney Western Art Museum in Cody, Wyoming.
(1904) Navajo Indian CAPITAN
Unique Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $4,320.00
(1904) Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, CAPITAN, Navajo Tribe, Ganado, Arizona, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Circa 1904, this piece was sculpted on Sawyer's first western excursion to Ganado, Arizona. Attractive emerald patina appears on glossy chocolate-brown surfaces. A detailed census of 41 varieties of Sawyer medallions finds no other examples of the Capitan medallion in any private or museum collections.
A 63-year-old Native American named Capitan appeared in the 1920 Federal Census for St. Michaels, Apache County, Arizona, just under 30 miles from Ganado. While we are unable to confirm that they were the same, it seems likely. Capitan lived with his two wives aged 60 and 30, and his six year old daughter, Grace Capitan. He was a doctor according to that record.
Navajo Indian EST-ZAN-LOPA
1904 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $7,800.00
1904 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, EST-ZAN-LOPA, Navajo Tribe, Ganado, Arizona, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Glossy chocolate-brown surfaces display traces of mahogany on the devices. Two large medallions are known, along with six small size (70 mm.) examples. This example and one other are the only galvanos known outside of museums. Our census has accounted for 216 medallions in total for all of the varieties. In his 1913 American Journal of Numismatics article titled "My Work Among the Indians," Sawyer noted that Est-Zan-Lopa was "a little girl basket weaver."
(1904) Navajo Indian QUINLICHINI-NEZ
Undated Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $2,280.00
(1904) Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, QUINLICHINI-NEZ, Navajo Tribe, Ganado, Arizona, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Circa 1904 from Sawyer's first trip to Indian reservations. His 1904 trip was exclusively to the Navajo reservation at Ganado, Arizona. Pleasing mahogany and steel-brown with glossy surfaces. Just two examples of this medallion are known, and both are large diameter pieces. The other example is in the collection of the Whitney Western Art Museum in Cody, Wyoming.
The U.S. Indian Census Rolls dated 1915 for Navajos living in the Cornfields, Ganado, and Wide Ruins Districts include the family of 78-year-old Kinlacheney Nez who had one wife, three daughters, and two sons. He would have been 67 years old in 1904 when this relief was created. The connection is clearly plausible.
Arapahoe Indian BA-HAW
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $1,440.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, BA-HAW, Arapahoe Tribe, Geary, Oklahoma, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Lustrous deep steel surfaces exhibit slight corrosion that creates an attractive stippled appearance. Two large size medallions and five small diameter pieces are currently identified. This is the only example that we know of outside of museums.
Ba-Haw was also known as "Big Boy" or "Thunder." An Arapahoe named Thunder appeared in the 1903 Arapahoe Census. He was born about 1846 and was married to Julia Thunder who was born about 1865. They had a daughter, Clara Thunder, born about 1895, and a son, Frank Thunder, born in 1902.
Yuma Indian NE-I-SO-MEH
(1904) Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $1,440.00
Undated Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, NE-I-SO-MEH, Yuma Tribe, Yuma, Arizona, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Intermingled mahogany and steel surfaces. Probably circa 1904, from Sawyer's first visit to Arizona. The lettering is incuse and the style is completely different from the majority of his work, suggesting this was one of his earliest works. A second version of this galvano exists with well-formed, raised letters, signed "Sawyer, Yuma, 1904."
The Yuma Indian Reservation is located in California, on the border with Arizona and near the Mexican border. The reservation was established in 1884, just two decades before Sawyer made his first trip to the American west. After visiting the Yuma reservation, he traveled to Ganado, Arizona. Ne-I-So-Meh was the first Indian that Sawyer sculpted.
Arapahoe Indian HAN-NI-AIT
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $1,680.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, HAN-NI-AIT, Arapahoe Tribe, Geary, Oklahoma, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Reddish chocolate-brown surfaces exhibit traces of rose patina on the high points. Two large size and five small size examples are known, including this medallion that is the only one outside of museums.
Also known as Coyote Robe, he was born about 1864 and died in 1927. He appeared in a number of Oklahoma Indian Census Rolls, residing in Concho, Oklahoma, just 20 miles east of Geary. His wife was Long Hair, born about 1865. His daughter was Lottie Coyote, born about 1896, and his son was August Coyote Robe, born about 1901.
Cheyenne Indian MA-KI-NA-KO
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $1,560.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, MA-KI-NA-KO, Cheyenne Tribe, Lame Deer, Montana, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Attractive reddish chocolate-brown surfaces show insignificant corrosion points. Two large medallions and five small size examples are known, and only one other is known in a private collection. Ma-Ki-Na-Ko was also known as Big Bear or Old Bear. He was apparently involved in the massacre of the Seventh Cavalry but no further information has been located.
Crow Indian CURLEY
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $3,360.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, CURLEY, Crow Tribe, Crow Agency, Montana, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. The famous Crow scout for Custer, his name appears as Curley or Curly in various sources. He is perhaps the best remembered of Sawyer's Indians today. The rich mahogany surfaces exhibit olive toning on the high points. This is the only example that we know of outside of museums. One other large size and five small size examples are known.
Curley was born about 1856 and died in 1923. He was buried at the Big Horn National Cemetery. He was a scout for Custer's battalion of the Seventh Cavalry who witnessed the battle at Little Big Horn. He was known to be the sole survivor of Custer's troops.
Crow Indian ECH-SPA-DI-E-ASH
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $7,800.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, ECH-SPA-DI-E-ASH, Crow Tribe, Crow Agency, Montana, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Glossy, rich mahogany surfaces exhibit exquisite details. Two large size and five small size examples are known to the cataloger, and all others are held in museum collections.
He was also known as Other Medicine or Hunts the Enemy. He was a Crow medicine man who posed for the cover of My Friend the Indian by Major James McLaughlin, published in 1910.
Kickapoo Indian BE ME THA
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $2,400.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, BE ME THA, Kickapoo Tribe, McLoud, Oklahoma, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Glossy mahogany devices stand out against steel-brown fields. There are two large size and five small size examples of this medallion known to the cataloger. This is the only one of either size outside of museums.
Oglala Sioux Indian HUNPE-KA
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $3,360.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, HUNPE-KA, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Manderson, South Dakota, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Outstanding light chocolate-brown surfaces with hints of olive. Two large size and five small size examples are known to the cataloger, and all others are in museum collections.
Hunpe-Ka was also known as Moccasins or Picket Pin. A 1907 interview at Manderson, South Dakota reveals that Picket Pin, or Hum-Pi-Ka, was 56 years old and the son of Little Wound, chief of the Ki-Ya-Xas band.
Osage Indian KAH-WAH-SE
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $3,840.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, KAH-WAH-SE, Osage Tribe, Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. A pleasing example that exhibits semi-glossy light chocolate-brown surfaces. Like so many others in this offering, the cataloger is aware of two large size and five small size examples of this variety, with just one other in a private collection.
Kah-Wah-Se was also known as Yellow Horse and was a member of the E-Pa-Tsa clan of Osage Indians. He was married to Kea-Sum-Pa of the Pon-Ka Peace Maker clan. Yellow Horse appeared in several Indian Census Rolls in the early 20th century for Oklahoma. A representative 1913 Census states that he was born about 1857, and that he had a 46-year-old wife named Ke-Ah-Som-Pah, a 20-year-old daughter named Pun-Kah-Me-Tsa-He whose English name was Maggie Bates, a 16-year-old son named Ah-Kah-Hu whose English name was John Bates, and a 14-year-old daughter named Hun-Kah-Me-Tsa-He. The family also included two older sons who were born about 1887 and 1890.
Pawnee Indian SAH-COOH-RU-TU-REE-HOO
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $3,840.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, SAH-COOH-RU-TU-REE-HOO, Pawnee Tribe, Pawnee, Oklahoma, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Reddish steel-brown surfaces exhibit microscopic corrosion. This example and one other large size galvano are known, along with five small size examples, and all others are held in museum collections.
Sah-Cooh-Ru-Tu-Ree-Hoo, also known as Big Sun or Seeing Eagle, was married to Pee-Ru-Ths, whose image was also sculpted by Sawyer. A 1903 Census of Pawnee Indians appears online at genealogytrails.com, and notes that Seeing Eagle was born about 1835. He was married to Maggie Peerootz who was born about 1864, and he had a stepson, Edgar Peetwotz, who was born about 1892.
Pawnee Indian STAH-PE-U
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $6,000.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, STAH-PE-U, Pawnee Tribe, Pawnee, Oklahoma, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. This lovely Indian maiden posed for Sawyer at a young age, retaining the appearance of a child. An attractive mahogany example, this medal exhibits rose patina on the high points with traces of greenish-steel verdigris. There are only seven examples known, including this large size piece and one other. The present representative is the only one known outside of museums.
Southern Cheyenne Indian NOCO-TO-MAH
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $6,000.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, NOCO-TO-MAH, Cheyenne Tribe, Geary, Oklahoma, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Glossy magenta surfaces with excellent eye appeal. Two large size and six small size examples are known, including one other held in a private collection. Noco-To-Mah was also known as Bear Robe.
Wichita Indian Chief TO-WAK-ONI-JIM
1912 Sawyer Bronze Galvano
Sold For: $4,800.00
1912 Bronze Galvano, Edward Warren Sawyer, Chief TO-WAK-ONI-JIM, Wichita Tribe, Anadarko, Oklahoma, Medallic Art Company. Uniface. 125 mm. Glossy rose surfaces provide excellent eye appeal. This example and another large size galvano in the collection of the Whitney Western Art Museum are known, along with five small size examples that are all in museum collections.
Sawyer wrote in his American Journal of Numismatics article that "Jim has been a great scout in his day and always friendly to Uncle Sam. He is a great orator and is found at many meetings speaking to his people." This chief of the Wichita tribe appears in the 1903 Indian Census as Jim Tow-Akoni, and in the 1911 Indian census as Jim-To-Wak-O-Ni, born about 1847. His wife was Hos-Que-Day-As-Sun-Odi-Say-Us, born about 1863. The 1903 Census reports a nine-year-old son whose English name was Grover Cleveland.
