Today a friend/ customer alerted me to an online sale offering nice American Indian items. I clicked on the link and immediately spotted a “Native American basket” that might have been made in Pakistan or it could be Botswana in origin. Neither culture would warrant aggressive bidding for a basket of this size, design, etc.
Next, 3 pots were all named as having been made at a particular New Mexican pueblo. None was from the named pueblo. One was made in the area of Mexico.
Don’t believe it is intentional misrepresentation. This was not an auctioneer who routinely specializes in American Indian material.
Savvy Collectors need to know a great deal to bid at auctions where what they are collecting is Not the specialty of that auction entity.
Corinne Cain, ASA, Accredited Senior Appraisers, Fine Art as well as American Indian Art
www.SavvyCollector.com