Lot 112

Mississippian Basalt Pop-Eyed Birdstone Effigy

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Lot 112
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Mississippian Basalt Pop-Eyed Birdstone Effigy
Mississippian Basalt Pop-Eyed Birdstone Effigy
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Mississippian Basalt Pop-Eyed Birdstone Effigy

Estimate: $800 - $1,200

Starting Bid: $400

(0 Bids)
by Artemis Fine Arts
June 25, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Native American, Mississippian culture, ca. 800–1600 CE. A compact, sculpturally distilled basalt effigy carved in the form of a perched bird, its body reduced to a sleek, river-smoothed mass from which the defining "pop-eyed" head emerges in characteristic profile. The vesicular grey stone has been patiently abraded and pecked into form, the bulging globular eyes set high on a tapered head while subtle ridges suggest the closed wings folding along the back and a stubby tail anchoring the rear. Birdstones of this type belong to a long lithic tradition of bannerstones and avian effigies produced across the eastern woodlands of North America, with the pop-eyed variant often associated with later prehistoric and Mississippian-era ceremonial production. Their precise function remains debated: candidates include atlatl weights, shamanic charms, and prestige objects exchanged within ritual economies. Whatever the original role, the form reduces the bird to its essential, watchful presence, an icon of avian power rendered in the densest available stone. Size: 4.1" W x 4.8" H x 7.5" D (10.4 cm W x 12.2 cm H x 19.1 cm D).

Provenance: private Colorado, USA Collection; ex-private Denver, Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Flushing, New York and Ridgeway, Colorado, USA collection, acquired in March 2017 via Allard Auctions Inc., St. Ignatius, Montana, USA; ex-prominent Northwest Coast, USA collection

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Item # 203000

  • Condition: Very Good. Weathering and abrasions to surface as shown with some pitting, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and very nice with liberal detail and scattered earthen deposits. Old collection label on underside of base.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000