The Magic of a Continent Captures at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries
For Immediate Release: April 28, 2026
All press inquiries may be submitted to pr@thomastonauction.com
From border to border and coast to coast, all the sweep and majesty of the North American continent arrive at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries on Friday, May 15th in the one-day-only auction of the North American Collection, presenting antique, vintage, and contemporary indigenous items and more. "We're excited to present this sale," states auctioneer and Gallery founder Kaja Veilleux, "as a showcase for a breathtaking range of unusual and compelling items gathered from important private collections."
Authentic Alaskan Inuit and Yup'ik pieces are a highlight of the sale, including compelling works of art and unique hand tools, carved in stone, bone, antler, walrus tusk, and fossil mastodon. Objects dating from prehistory to contemporary times are represented in this grouping, offering a unique opportunity for the discerning collector. The collection also features a well-curated assortment of hand-made hunting, skinning, and ulu knives, created in Alaska by noted modern artisans including Chuck "The Knifeman" Bowen, Maynard Linder and Leroy Barlip, with many featuring one-of-a-kind carved handles and matching sheaths.
Fascinating in their history and unusual in their fabrication, an impressive and extremely rare assortment of silver trade tokens offers bidders insight into the everyday life of early European settlers and their dealings with indigenous tribes. Used as a vital medium of exchange for the buying and selling of beaver pelts and other valuable furs by agents of the sprawling Hudson’s Bay Company and other important trading firms, these pieces, often cast into the shape of miniature beaver skins, crucifixes, Crosses of Lorraine, and other symbolic indications of provenance and value, served in lieu of coins and currency as a store of worth acceptable to both parties in the economic transactions that fueled the early British and French settlements along the Canadian frontier.
The auction also features an impressive selection of fine Native American jewelry, boldly worked in silver, turquoise, and agate, including bracelets, rings, necklaces, and earrings, with the collection especially strong in authentic Navajo pieces. Native American basketry, pottery, rugs, and sand paintings are also featured, as well as a bold collection of rugs created in the tradition of the Zapotec people of Mexico.
Rounding out the sale will be selected works of fine art featuring outdoor and western themes, including sculptures by Bill Nedeker, Scott Rogers, Larry Argent, Ryan Wilhite, and paintings by Krystii Melaine, Frank Howell, Robert Chee, and John Lofgren.
With more than 440 lots featured in the North American Collection Auction the sale is expected to draw bidding interest from collectors worldwide. In person previews will be held May 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th, at the Galleries, 51 Atlantic Highway in Thomaston, Maine. Further details will be found at thomastonauction.com.
North American Collection
Date & Time: Friday, May 15th - 11 AM EDT
Location: Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, 51 Atlantic Highway, Thomaston, Maine
Bidding Options: In-person, by phone, or by absentee bid. Online bidding options are available at thomastonauction.com
Preview: Open to the Public on May 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th from 11 AM to 5PM EDT.
For details on how to participate, visit our How to Bid page or complete the Phone/Absentee Bid Form to register. With limited seating and phone lines available, collectors are encouraged to register early to secure participation.
About Thomaston Place Auction Galleries
A full-service internationally-known auction house respected by clients around the world, Thomaston Place Auction Galleries presents a continuing schedule of feature and specialty auctions offering fine art, antiques, and a broad range of carefully-curated collectors' pieces, sourced from distinguished estates and private collections. Founder Kaja Veilleux is the originator of the "Free Appraisal Day" concept, and gathers many of the pieces sold in the Gallery's feature and specialty auctions after personally meeting their owners through his regular Tuesday sessions.