Frazetta's Masai Warrior to be Auctioned by Heritage!

DALLAS, TEXAS: Frank Frazetta's masterful painting, the large and impressive Masai Warrior, is to be offered at auction by Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers (HG&A) in their upcoming Signature auction, to be held November 17 & 18, 2005, in their Dallas, Texas headquarters.

"This piece, originally done for Ellie Frazetta, Frank's wife, as a wedding anniversary present in 1960 and 1961, hung in the Frazetta home for many years," said Ed Jaster, Vice President for HG&A. "In time, the piece was sold, but Frank Frazetta missed it so much that he felt compelled to recreate it - the second, newer version hangs in the Frazetta Museum in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. This portrait of a proud native warrior is the original first version, and, unlike the majority of Frazetta's highly stylized and soft focus work, is an exceptionally detailed, photo-realistic and life-like image."

"This painting, the first of a series of African warrior paintings - 'Lion Hunt,' published as the cover to an issue of The Burroughs Bulletin, was another in this series - also numbers among Frazetta's largest canvases, at an impressive 45" by 25"," said Jaster, "making it a real treasure for anyone who appreciates the awe and majesty of Frazetta's work. This was one of Frazetta's rare personal paintings - not done to any art director's specifications - in which he could allow the full range of his talent to shine through. Making this piece even more irresistible is the fact that it's housed in a frame that was hand-built by Frazetta himself. This piece will no doubt be the crown jewel of some very lucky collection."

Masai Warrior has a pre-auction estimate of $100,000 - $150,000.

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HeritageGalleries.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of top-end illustration and fine art are invited to call Scott Barber at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 521 or Edward Jaster at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 288 to discuss their material. Or visit HeritageGalleries.com and click on the "Sell Now" tab. Or simply email Scott Barber at SBarber@HeritageGalleries.com or Edward Jaster at EdJ@HeritageGalleries.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Nicole Jewell at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272, or visit HeritageGalleries.com to order by email.