I was again fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to
buy this wonderful bronze by a very talented artist and
all-around-nice-guy (I have that on excellent authority) Rusty Houtz
(tribal affiliation: Shoshone-Bannock). Rusty was born in Idaho and was
raised by his Indian grandparents. Save for a stint in the Army during
WWII, he worked as a professional rodeo cowboy until injuries in 1957
forced him to give it up. He worked as an extra in many films, and later
in life began sculpting (he was self-taught). His bronzes were often
featured at the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum in Fort Hall, Idaho,
where he volunteered regularly. He was a well-respected elder in his
tribe, and well liked in his area.
This bronze, titled
"Morning Prayer", was cast as a gift to his friend Steve Piper, who
owned his favorite restaurant in town. This bronze sat proudly on
display until it was offered for sale and I bought it. It was Rusty's first sculpture cast in bronze, dated 1983 and number 14 of 25. It's a wonderful
piece, and I'm thrilled to have it in my collection.
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| "Morning Prayer" by Donner "Rusty" Houtz (1923-2012), 1983, 14/25, front |
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| "Morning Prayer" by Donner "Rusty" Houtz (1923-2012), 1983, 14/25, right |
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| "Morning Prayer" by Donner "Rusty" Houtz (1923-2012), 1983, 14/25, Indian close up |
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| "Morning Prayer" by Donner "Rusty" Houtz (1923-2012), 1983, 14/25, back |
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| "Morning Prayer" by Donner "Rusty" Houtz (1923-2012), 1983, 14/25, left |
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| "Morning Prayer" by Donner "Rusty" Houtz (1923-2012), 1983, 14/25, signature |
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| "Morning Prayer" by Donner "Rusty" Houtz (1923-2012), 1983, 14/25, dedication plaque |
I came into possession of a pair of Rusty Houtz bookends. Native American in theme. The bases of the statues (which stand approx. 9" tall) are inscribed "The Shoshone Bannock Tribes of Idaho" along with his signature. It also has he number 93 after one of the signatures. I'm not sure if that a year or piece number. One piece depicts a chief with full headdress, right arm cradling a peace pipe, left hand is leaning on a sheathed rifle. The other piece shows a squaw with her left hand held out, palm up, while her right hands rests on the chest of a child in front of her.
ReplyDeleteI would appreciate any background info you might have on this piece and an approximate associated value.
Hi there! Sorry for the lateness of my reply. I've been ill and haven't been up to blogging lately.
DeleteWithou seeing them, I'd guess the "93" is the date of creation. Rusty use to volunteer at the Shoshone-Bannock tribal museum, and they used to sell his sculptures in the gift shop. I'm not sure if they still do, as he passed away several years ago.
As for value, that's a tough one. Condition is very important to value, as any damage or verdigris can seriously impact the price. I haven't seen a set like yours for sale, much less pictures of yours, so I really couldn't say what they're worth. His works come up for sale so infrequently that I wouldn't be willing to even venture a guess.
Having had no luck finding any information on these bookends, I put them up for auction on eBay under the seller name hansonsbooks. Please take a look.
ReplyDeleteWere you able to sell the bookends? I would love to purchase them if not.
DeleteAnd they're already on my watch list. ;) They're quite beautiful! To be honest, your start price is quite a bit higher than I paid for my sculpture, on an order of about 7 times.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the pictures of the bookends, I believe these were specifically made to be sold in the gift shop of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum in Ft. Hall, Idaho. The best bet to find out more about them might be to call the museum and see if someone there remembers Rusty and/or his sculptures. He was very active with the museum, so I would think someone there could help you.
Hello, I also have these bookends now and many more beautiful bronze sculptures including "Morning prayer" made by Rusty Houtz. He was a family member to us and after he passed away all his bronze sculptures went to his companion Bonnie Tombaugh. Since she passed away in Jan 2016 all the remaining works went to her Daughter, Cheryl. We have many western Rodeo and Roping works. If you have any questions please let me know. Contact: henriksen@cableone.net
ReplyDeleteI have 21 sculptures of Rusty's, including Morning Prayer, number 1, and a larger than life Indian head/bust, number 1, made for a jeweler friend of his. I'd like to sell some of the larger pieces. If interested, please contact henriksen@cableone.net
ReplyDelete