A saddle that was made for the military and political hero Simon Bolivar is to highlight the 23rd Annual High Noon Western Americana Auction and Show, which will be held January 26-27 in Arizona.
 Could Bolivar's saddle top the world record set at the 2012 auction? |
The world renowned event will see the saddle offered with a $50,000-100,000 estimate. It was made especially for El Liberator in Bolivia - the country that is named after him.
Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) was the instrumental figure in South America's struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire, and is considered one of the most important political leaders in the history of the Americas. He was responsible for leading his home country of Venezuela, as well as Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia to freedom and served as the president of three of these nations.
Today, he is regarded as a Hispanic-American hero, with every city or town in Venezuala having a main square that is known as Plaza Bolivar. His political influence is still felt throughout South America, with the current Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez, using Bolivar's writings as the basis for his political movement.
A historically important piece of outstanding rarity, the saddle could well exceed its pre-sale estimate considerably at the end of the month. In the 2012 High Noon auction, Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa's saddle sold for $718,000 - a world record for a saddle at auction.
Other highlights of the sale include an 1870s North Plains Tomahawk and a Sioux man's beaded war shirt, both of which have been given $30,000-40,000 estimates.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has some superb items of Americana for sale, including the extremely rare autograph of George Armstrong Custer and a strand of hair from Geronimo, the great Apache leader.
