2025 Prix de West Collector's Bolo: Nevermore by Walter T. Matia

Over the past 39 years, some of the most accomplished artists have contributed to the growing collection of annual Prix de West collectors’ bolos portraying a wide swath of Western themes — from cowboys, cowgirls and various Native American figures to an array of creatures great and small, and even some impressionistic and representational designs.

Each year, the annual Prix de West bolo is not only cast in bronze but is also produced in limited gold- and silver-plated versions for presentation to Prix de West Society members who have joined at upper levels of support. 

With 2025 marking the 40th year that a Prix de West collectors’ bolo will be produced, a number of recent bolo artists admit that finding a subject that hasn’t been portrayed to perfection by a previous artist’s efforts is one of the most difficult aspects of the assignment.

Such was the concern of 2023 Prix de West Purchase Award winner Walter T. Matia when he was tasked with creating this year’s bolo. As a wildlife artist, his primary love is birds, so right away he knew his bolo would depict a fowl. The question, then, was: Which one?

“Eagles have been portrayed several times, and owls have been depicted recently — Steve Kestrel did such a beautiful one I couldn’t imagine a better one. Ross Matteson’s California quail was as pretty of a quail as you’re going to see, so I couldn’t do that,” Matia said. “It kind of became a matter of looking at what else has been done so beautifully, and try to figure out something to add to the canon of birds as bolos.”

However, other considerations besides subject matter must influence the decision, Matia said. “When designing a bolo, you’re looking for a scale that is going to make whatever you’re working on large enough to be understandable; small enough that it’s not going to weigh four pounds; and smooth enough that when you wear it, you’re not going to puncture your skin on some sharp object,” he said.

So Matia arrived at an iconic Western fowl that met all his stated criteria: a raven. Matia’s raven bolo, aptly titled Nevermore, “provided the different textures — between the bill and the eye and the beautiful feather-work in the throat — that could be sculpted such that it would look good in the straight bronze, but also be smooth enough that when they did the silver and gold plating, it was going to look good.”

Matia remains circumspect about the reception the bolo will receive at Prix de West, saying “We do these things, and we wish we could say we know how stuff is going to work out, but we don’t.” Truth is, Nevermore promises to be one of the most popular and collectible Prix de West bolos of the past 40 years.

The Collectors' Bolo tradition began in 1986.

Add to your collection of our Prix de West bolos or start your collection today! These bolos are replicas of the original artwork. Each bolo comes with a braided horsehair bolo tie.

Discounts are not available for this item.