Vintage HOPI Gourd Chili Kachina "Tax Collector" Piggy Bank - MERRIL NEQUATEWA

Description

Humorous Vintage Hopi Gourd - "The Tax Collector" - by
MERRIL NEQUATEWA
It is approximately 11 1/2" high x 9 1/2'' wide x 4 1/4" deep. Colors as vibrant as when we bought it in the late 80's.
Please examine all pictures very closely as they constitute
the majority of the description.
This was purchased directly from the artist in the late 80's. We laughed when he said it was called the Tax Collector.  The rope was to lasso the people who tried to avoid him. (Guess they handle it a bit different there.)  :-)
This is probably a one-of-a-kind piece as we've never seen one before or since. Merril had it sitting away from the items he was selling and it was not for sale. My Mom just kept upping the price until he sold it to her.
The feet pop off to get the money out.  The coins are inserted at the top of the head.  Stored in a non-smoking environment away from light. Only damage was a flake of red off of one of the red peppers. It was like that when purchased.
Be sure to check out our store for similar items
PLEASE read the information below and ask any questions prior to bidding.
___________________________
Shipping
We are always happy to combine shipping when we can do it in a safe and practical manner that keeps your purchases from being damaged.  Should this be the case, each item will have its own box/package within the shipping box.
SHIPPING POLICY - We DO NOT ship to ANY 3rd party forwarder or 3rd party warehouse shippers who provide overseas forwarding.  We DO NOT ship
anywhere
except the 50 U.S. states.  Per eBay POLICY and for mutual protection we ONLY ship to your PayPal verified address on file.
PLEASE READ:
Shipping is defaulted to USPS or FedEx.
Click the down arrow to see all options and pricing
.  Be sure to look at the difference in price by selecting each service type for the estimate.  USPS, UPS & FEDEX options are available.  UPS and FEDEX do not deliver to certain areas so be sure your address is eligible prior to choosing that as an option.
When creating the shipping label, I will compare the shipping options.
If I can save you substantial $$$ by using a different shipping method, I will choose that method and refund you unless you immediately specify you want the vendor chosen.
Upon winning, if you want an invoice with your options and actual cost, please message us and request it.
We do not make money on shipping and pass on our discounts to you.  If our cost comes out lower than the quoted price, and it’s more than a dollar or two, we will refund you the difference.  (We pay fees on tax and shipping.)  If we underestimate shipping, we eat the difference.
In order for it to be included in the quotes, eBay forces us to put the estimated insurance in as shipping and handling.  We do not charge shipping and handling fees.
Insurance does not cover theft.  Be sure to watch for your delivery if it is being delivered to a place where it can be stolen, like a porch.
Packaging
We DOUBLE BOX 99% of our POTTERY and most other items except jewelry, which gets its own special treatment. We DO NOT use crumpled newspaper and such for cushioning.  We use appropriate crush strength boxes and do not skimp on packing materials.  FOR SECURE DELIVERY AND INSURANCE PURPOSES, WE MEET AND SURPASS ALL USPS, FED-EX & UPS MINIMUM PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS.
We normally ship within 1 business day of payment.  However, we are asking for up to 3 days to ship your item.  If there is a need to send it right away, please email us and let us know.
If you want special instructions for the carrier, let us know immediately so we can add that to the label.
Once we send it, we have no control over the shipping service, but will be happy to trace should there be an issue.  We are not liable for packages left on doors and stolen.  Insurance does not cover it.  So watch the tracking so you know when it arrives.
If you require a personal signature, please notify us BEFORE paying so we can send an accurate invoice.  Even this is no guarantee as some providers have opted to sign for you that they left it (a lot of good that does).
Payment
Please pay within 3 days of the end of auction.
ALL SALES FINAL
We do not claim to be experts.  We are simply provide great pieces at reasonable prices to create a great value.  We do our best to document all items accurately and to the best of our knowledge.  We try to take photos that are as true to the actual color as we can get.  But, keep in mind, every monitor shows colors differently.  We attempt to depict any defects or imperfections in the description
.
Please examine all pictures and video (if available) closely as they are considered the majority of the description just in case we miss anything when writing the description.
(We both need new glasses.)
If you want additional close-ups or a different angle, feel free to request them.
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If you are a collector of Native American Pottery, Jewelry, Kachina, basketry, and hard-to-find/unusual items in great shape, please put us in your favorites so you can be notified of our authentic vintage items as we list them.
We do combine shipping whenever possible, practical, and safe.
Please check out our other auctions in both our eBay stores:
RAINDANCERAUCTIONS
and
LCBERGH
.
Thank you, in advance, for your business and purchase!