Welcome To Our Site! We have collected art for many years and lived on the Navajo Reservation where we made many lasting friends. Our motto is to be as honest as possible and to treat each and everyone of our customers with integrity, kindness, and fantastic customer service because you deserve it and we want to keep you! All of our items listed in our store are genuine, the authentic article. We will always tell you everything we know about a piece, the artist who made it, the materials it is made of and where it was made. We comply with the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (P.L.101-644) which is a truth in advertising law. All of our Indian made items are by members of a federally or officially State recognized tribe or certified Indian artisans. Many of the items on the following pages are one-of-a-kind and as such command high prices. All items Indian made are marketed truthfully regarding their Indian heritage and tribal affiliation. Most of our Indian made items are signed by the artist and we know them personally.
The Edward S. Curtis photogravures are awesome-rare, unique and authentic and were displayed in a Flathead tribal museum for heritage awareness. Documentation is present that shows the dates when this occurred and which photos were used. We do not have all of these wonderful pictures listed yet but are working as quickly as possible and will have them listed within in next couple of months.
Our jewelry is hand made of the finest quality silver and if adorned with stones, only the finest turquoise and other stones are used. If any piece of jewelry has "stabilized Turquoise" or other stones we will tell you. Most of the stones used are all unique to a particular region of the Navajo or Hopi Reservation or to a particular region or specific location or mine in Arizona and are properly presented as such. Some of our jewelry is pre-1935 and is made of quality silver although some is "German Silver" a Nickel based silver product. Much of this early antique jewelry was never signed. This is a well known fact and we will tell you as much about a piece as possible.
All Katsina dolls that are Hopi made are identified by the artist and the Mesa from which it came. Any doll that is Navajo made is also identified by the artist and by the region on the Reservation from which it was carved. Most Navajo made dolls have added items such as ribbons, cloth, yarn and/or legal feathers. Some are carved simply from all cottonwood root. All Hopi made Katsina's vary in design, are made of cottonwood root, are hand painted with vegetable made dye and signed by the artist. In some cases we do have the photograph of the carver from either tribe and that will be sent along with your purchase.
Our pottery is all handmade from different Native American tribes and again we properly present them and when known the artist is given. Some of the pottery is pre 1950. We do not have it all listed yet but are working as quickly as possible.
Any baskets that we might have listed at any given time is stated with the artist name when known and where the item was purchased. Some of the baskets were taken to the Heard museum for verification when I was uncertain of their origin. With some I have asked my native American friends to help me identify them. They are always able to tell me a great deal about the weaves and the type of grass or reed used. When I know these things I will tell you.
The wonderful Navajo rugs posted on this site are all hand woven from hand-spun wool and dyed with plant based dye, hard-to-find anymore. I have the artist name, the way she made the colors and the plants she used. I know all of these things because we have personally purchase all of these fine weavings when we lived in Chinle.
We do have several Mexican weavings that are pre-1900 and are listed as such on a separate page. The trained eye can tell the difference between the weaving and we will state if the rug is Native American and who made it, or if it is Mexican made. When we know the artist of any nationality we will tell you.
Ruth Norvill is making some wonderful Navajo handmade Pendleton clothing from genuine Pendleton blankets of which we are offering for sale on this site. Ruth is an excellent seamstress, is a member of the Navajo Nation and lives in Many Farms Arizona. Documentation with her picture comes with each article.
We sell to people all over the world and we do offer other cultural items from different worldwide locations.
Please take your time and look at our amazing inventory! We are constantly adding new items. Click here to be taken immediately to our HOME page where we share more detail about our inventory!
Below you will find some pictures of our current inventory. Click on any one to enlarge. These pictures are not linked but will give you a quick idea of our quality listings.
Before you leave this site please take a moment to visit our other store sites at: www.phoenixcosmopolitan.net at Susie's Vintage Store for quality antique costume and fine jewelry www.phoenixcosmopolitanbooks.com for hard-to-find books
We offer gift certificates for your convenience. You can find these on the link below. It will take you directly to Paypal where you can purchase any amount you like. We honor them here with no expiration date!
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any question or concern you may have. We will answer all queries truthfully to the best of our knowledge. No question will be turned away. Please email us at susiesvintagestore@hotmail.com
Thank You and enjoy browsing!
Gift Certificates Are Available, Just Choose Your Payment Method Below!
Give Someone a Special Gift with the purchase of a Gift Certificate! They can choose from our many items found here in the pages of our Gallery, not just any gift, but something unique and very special!
I wrote my first novel from experiences on the rez! Its the next scary thing! I have posted a couple of reviews. Just click on the tab below to get your copy today! Thanks for looking!
Skinwalker is a well written, action packed history-based novel centered on the beliefs and superstitions of the Navajo Indians. The author blends accurate historical research with a story line that keeps the reader wanting to know what will happen next. The main character, Alex, is cool, calm, and somewhat mysterious. There were times that this reader even felt that perhaps Alex was the "Skinwalker" and the action was an internal conflict as he tried to destroy the demons within himself. However, those thoughts were dashed as the ending clears up that misconception. But, that was one of the many good things about the book, it wasn't always apparent where the plot was heading, so the suspense was captivating and continuous.
I really liked this book so much that I shared it with my sister. The plot flowed very well that I was able to keep up with the changing scenes. I love romances and this was no exception to my surprise. I liked that the author included alot of historical facts of the time which enhanced the flavor of the book.
Buy your copy today!
Visit Skinwalker page on this site to read several sample chapters.
The images below are just a sampling of what you will find in the following pages of our store ~ Gallery of Western, American Indian and Cultural Art ~ Enjoy!
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Click on any name below for that store site location. Or choose from the menu to the left. Happy Shopping and Thanks for stopping by!
Vintage Bev Doolittle signed prints are found here in our Gallery!
You have found the one site that has an extensive collection of Edward Sheriff Curtis' original collectible photogravures offered for sale. Edward Curtis was a famous photographer of the vanishing American West and of its Native American People. He produced The North American Indian, a work of twenty volumes with 1,500 photographs in an effort to not only photograph, but to document, as much American Indian traditional life as possible. He wrote in the introduction to his first volume in 1907: "The information that is to be gathered...respecting the mode of life of one of the great races of mankind, must be collected at once or the opportunity will be lost." Curtis made over 10,000 wax cylinder recordings of Indian language and music work that was exceedingly difficult and heavily criticized. He took over 40,000 photographic images from over 80 tribes. He recorded tribal lore and history, and he described traditional foods, housing, garments, recreation, ceremonies, and funeral customs. He wrote biographical sketches of tribal leaders, and his material, in most cases, is the only recorded history. By the time Curtis had finished his extraordinary achievement, the American public had not only moved on, but was entering The Great Depression. Fewer than 300 copies of the full twenty volume work was sold. Curtis died at his daughter's house in 1952 at the age of 84. the New York Times ran a six sentence obituary of his death. Today Curtis' camera sits in the Smithsonian Institute of Natural History.
