BOULDER, COLO.- Artemis Fine Arts will host the Art & Artifacts of the Americas sale on December 5, 2025, at 9:00 AM (GMT-6), offering an expansive selection of ancient to contemporary works from across the Americas. The event, titled Art & Artifacts of the Americas, brings together carefully curated pieces from North America, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the regions in between. All lots are guaranteed as described, with convenient in-house worldwide shipping available.

The sale offers a compelling cross-section of Pre-Columbian artistry, including rare masks, ritual vessels, figural sculpture, and finely carved ceremonial items with strong provenance. Below are some of the auction’s highlights:



Moche Copper Mask with Shell Pupils and Owl Necklace

Estimate: $4,000–$6,500

A commanding example of Moche funerary art, this copper mask from ca. 200–600 CE presents a human visage modeled with bold immediacy. Its hammered surface bears an iridescent patina of blue-green mineral accretions, while the wide eyes—set with pale shell pupils—create an intense, watchful expression. Perforations along the brow once held textiles or ornaments, emphasizing its ceremonial role.

One original copper earspool survives, and below the chin hangs a dramatic necklace of six copper owl-head beads. Owls, potent symbols in Moche cosmology, were linked to night vision, sorcery, and the ability to navigate spiritual thresholds. Masks like this were created strictly for burial, their gleaming surfaces animated by firelight in ritual chambers. This example remains astonishingly expressive—a bridge between human identity and the supernatural realm.



Maya Leg Bone Bas Relief Carving with Lord Figure

Estimate: $3,000–$5,000

Carved from a human or deer leg bone, this Late Classic Maya relief (ca. 550–900 CE) depicts a richly adorned nobleman standing in profile before a column of glyphs. The figure wears ear flares, an elaborate headdress, and a pectoral ornament, while the surface likely once bore red cinnabar accents.

Bone carvings served powerful ceremonial purposes in Maya culture, functioning as ritual tools, bloodletters, or symbolic emblems of authority. This example comes with notable provenance, including prior sale through Artemis Gallery and the Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate.



Large Jalisco Pottery Seated Male Figure with Club

Estimate: $2,500–$4,500

From the vibrant funerary traditions of West Mexico’s Protoclassic shaft-tomb culture, this 11.5-inch Jalisco warrior figure (ca. 100 BCE–250 CE) is remarkably intact. He sits nude, holding a small olla in one hand and a long club in the other, his expressive features shaped with classic regional flair—impressed slit eyes, a prominent nose, and a thick headband.

Figures like this were placed deep within family tombs carved into volcanic stone, intended to accompany and protect the deceased. Its superb preservation and vivid coloration reflect some of the best artistry of ancient Jalisco.



Casas Grandes Ramos Lobed Polychrome Pottery Jar

Estimate: $2,200–$3,300

This elegant vessel from Northern Mexico’s Casas Grandes culture (ca. 1200–1450 CE) features a tiered silhouette with a flared rim and masterfully painted geometric motifs in black and red on a warm beige slip. A checkered band divides the upper and lower registers, each decorated with zigzags and angular forms associated with Ramos Polychrome ceramics. Its condition, symmetry, and graphic clarity exemplify the sophistication of the Casas Grandes artistic tradition.



Nazca Polychrome Kero (Ritual Drinking Vessel)

Estimate: $2,000–$3,000

A tall, hourglass-shaped Nazca kero from ca. 200–600 CE stands out for its bold palette of red, cream, and black. Geometric stepped motifs encircle the upper register, while large cruciform rosettes decorate the midsection. The interior is covered in rich red slip, underscoring its ceremonial purpose in community feasting, libation, and ritual gatherings.

The piece has undergone thermoluminescence testing confirming its antiquity, and it comes with a full printed report for the buyer.



Nayarit Chinesco Pottery Seated Female Figure

Estimate: $1,500–$2,500

This serene Chinesco-style figure (ca. 300 BCE–300 CE) captures quiet introspection through minimal features and gently curving forms. Traces of red pigment remain on the chest, arms, and waist, suggesting ancient adornment. Her kneeling posture, looped arms, and downturned head reflect the contemplative aesthetic prized in Nayarit shaft-tomb traditions, where such figures served as guardians or companions for the dead.

Auction Information

Title: Art & Artifacts of the Americas
Organizer: Artemis Fine Arts
Date & Time: December 5, 2025 – 9:00 AM (GMT-6)
Location: Boulder, Colorado, USA
Bidding: Online and live options available

For collectors of Pre-Columbian art, ancient ritual objects, and Mesoamerican ceramics, this sale offers an exceptional opportunity to acquire works with deep cultural resonance and documented history.