2013 Coeur d’Alene Art Auction / Lot 4314 / 309  •  View Catalog  •   • 

43
James Bama (1926 – 2022)
Sage Grinder (1976)
oil on board
16 × 20 inches
signed and dated lower right

LITERATURE:
James Bama, The Western Art of James Bama Englarged Edition (New York, New York: Bantam Books, Inc., 1980), number 49, illustrated

According to the artist, “My model for this painting was a young Navajo girl, a student at Brigham Young University, who is shown grinding sage on a buffalo hide. Several summers ago, on the outskirts of Cody, Wyoming, she and a number of other Indians re-created an early native village to demonstrate the manner in which Indians lived before the arrival of Columbus. Charging admission, they taught such crafts as sage-grinding, cooking, and the making of weapons—all very well done. It was a rare opportunity for me to pose them and to produce a series of paintings. Before the summer ended, they suddenly disappeared, and I have not seen them since.”

43

James Bama

1926 – 2022

Sage Grinder (1976)
oil on board
16 × 20 inches
signed and dated lower right
Sold at Auction: $19,890
Condition ReportSurface condition excellent, 2 inch line of inpainting on right side.

Important Notice: Statements of condition are provided as a service to potential bidders; such statements are educated opinions and should not be regarded as facts. The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction has no responsibility for any errors or omissions.