January 26, 2024 Brian Lebel's Old West Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/26/2024
A tribute saddle made by Rick to commemorate his famous Traditional Cowboy Arts exhibition saddle from 2008 at the Nation Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. A two-tone tooled saddle with striking snake, outlaws running and shooting horseback on the back in silver. The seat has the "Made by R. C. Bean / Star -Idaho" cartouche.
The custom saddle stand made especially for this saddle is included and is a beautiful work of art itself. From the 2009 TCAA catalog; "Christened the Outlaw Saddle by Rick Bean because of the dark color and the bad guys on the cantle back, it is built on a Butch Cassidy saddle tree with a 15-inch seat, semi-square skirts and 23-inch tapaderos. The saddle is fully carved and fully lined with a copper and black "antiquing" dye scheme. A realistic figure of a coiled rattlesnake is carved into the dish of the seat while the cantle back has a silver sculpture of outlaws created in relief by Bean. Dave Anderson fabricated the sterling silver conchas."
Rick, a member of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association since 2005, is known for his elaborately carved “Sunday saddles,” working saddles with ornate decoration. On his saddle leather, Rick often depicts animals and human characters in detailed scenes that might be inspired by history, folklore or the contemporary West. An entire storyline can play out in the medium of a Rick Bean saddle.