Articles

Sharing my items is a great way to learn about the Native story. My goal is to meet and connect with you in a way that promotes our mutual interest in beautiful objects created by those who came well before us.

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A closer look...

Wampum!

I’ve loved wampum for years.  I’m fascinated about its history, evolution and its uses.  Wampum is a bead made out of shell from either the channeled whelk shell or the quahog or Western North Atlantic hard-shelled clam.  The beads produced are either white, purple, or a combination of both colors.  Wampum was used as a […]

Uncategorized

Burro Alley in Santa Fe, NM

The James Compton Gallery is on Burro Alley, 28 Burro Alley to be precise. This is a historic street in Santa Fe, NM, and now exists as a pedestrian walking street with access at the north end to West Palace Avenue (actually Sandoval Street – the Alley comes out right where the Palace turns into […]

New Gallery Item

Old Hopi Bowl

This Hopi bowl, dating from the late 19th to early 20th century, measures 9.5″ in diameter and 4″ tall.  The patina on the surface is a rich butter honey color.  The red center is a rarely seen design element, making me consider that this bowl may have been for ceremonial use.   The bottom of the […]

Gallery News

Gallery Signage is up!

Thanks to my designer John Pappas of www.12acrestudio.com and to my maker and installer Peter Tengler of https://artmanproductions.com, my gallery signage is up and ready to show itself! The background for the main sign is topped with deep blue and the bottom with dark brown. The blue represents the indigo used as a dye for […]

A closer look...

An Optical Navajo Rug

This is one of my earliest Navajo weaving purchases and remains one of my most favorite. The rug is fine and thin, almost a blanket weight, and measures 87″ x 52″.  The simple border is an un-dyed natural brown color with wonderful variations.  The background white is a soft creamy white.  Bands of arrows are […]

Art History

Civil War Blanket Owned By Samuel G. Gilbreth

This banded blanket was owned and carried by Samuel G. Gilbreth, 1st company of Massachusetts Sharpshooters, and was passed down the family to its present state in my gallery.  Blankets in general interest me, but this one particularly stands out considering its beautiful simplicity as well as its place in American History. This wool blanket […]

Art Collecting

Rio Grande Blankets

A Brief History of Rio Grande Blankets Rio Grande blankets are more rare than Navajo blankets. These blankets are becoming more popular as collectors recognize that these objects have their own niche in the world of fine weaving.  The Spanish Colonialists made these blankets going back to the arrival of the Spaniards to North America […]

New Gallery Item

Navajo Chief’s Blanket

I’ve just added a Navajo chief’s blanket to the collection and this item is for sale.  The price is $45,000. This blanket dates to around 1875 and measures 58 by 74 inches.  The warp and weft are all wool; the warp being a single ply natural white and the weft natural white, brown and white […]

My Thoughts on Native Art

Collecting and Letting Go

My psychology in collecting art has a fundamental rule that I follow with some variations.  The rule is this: collecting something requires letting go of something else.  The practical dilemma here is that I can’t keep everything because my resources are limited and the trial of parsing down my collection is a lesson itself in […]