BOULDER, CO.- On January 23, 2026, at 9:00 AM CST, collectors and scholars alike will turn their attention to Boulder, Colorado, as
Artemis Fine Arts opens bidding on its
Global Art | Asian, Ancient & Ethnographic auction. Carefully curated and legally vetted, this sale brings together objects that span continents, belief systems, and millennia—each one carrying the imprint of the culture that shaped it.
From Buddhist devotional sculpture to Bronze Age weaponry and Pre-Columbian ritual art, the highlights of this auction form a narrative of how humanity has expressed faith, power, and identity through material form.
A Buddhist vision of longevity and cosmic order
Buddhist gilt copper chaitya stupa with Amitayus Buddha (19th century)
Rising from a lotus-petal plinth, this Nepalese–Tibetan chaitya stupa embodies the Buddhist aspiration toward enlightenment and long life. Within its torana-arched niche sits Amitayus, the Buddha of Infinite Life, holding the kalasha vessel that symbolizes immortality. Cascading beaded garlands and tiny bells animate the surface, while enamel and coral cabochons crown the spire.
Once consecrated as a devotional offering, the chaitya functioned as a miniature cosmic stupa—a reliquary designed to accumulate spiritual merit. Despite expected age-related losses to gilding and inlays, the sculpture retains a rich devotional presence.
Estimate: $7,000–$10,500
Provenance: ex–P.T. collection, Queens, New York
Myth, destruction, and reconciliation in South India
18th–19th century Indian brass shrine of Virabhadra, Daksha, and Sati
This rare five-piece brass shrine brings to life one of Hinduism’s most dramatic narratives: the aftermath of Daksha’s sacrificial rite. At its center stands Virabhadra, Shiva’s fierce manifestation, flanked by Daksha—now goat-headed after his beheading—and Sati, whose tragic self-immolation triggered the divine conflict.
The figures are framed by an ornate prabhavali crowned with a kirtimukha mask and a five-headed naga canopy, symbols of protection and cosmic order. Worn through ritual handling, the shrine bears witness to generations of devotion and storytelling translated into sculptural form.
Estimate: $4,500–$6,750
Provenance: ex–P.T. collection, Queens, New York
Power forged in bronze
Northern European Moringen-type sword (ca. 1500–1300 BCE)
Slender, elegant, and cast in a single piece of bronze, this Nordic Bronze Age sword is as much a symbol of authority as it is a weapon. Its mushroom-shaped pommel, downturned guard, and central blade ridge exemplify the Moringen type associated with elite warrior culture in Scandinavia.
Such swords were often deposited in hoards or wetlands, suggesting ritual significance beyond combat. The rich green patina speaks to centuries underground, preserving a distilled expression of Bronze Age power and belief.
Estimate: $4,000–$6,000
Provenance: private London collection
Infinite Light in carved wood
17th century Chinese Ming standing Amitabha Buddha
Standing atop a double lotus pedestal, this Ming dynasty Amitabha Buddha radiates serenity and spiritual authority. Traces of red, black, and gold pigment recall its original polychromy, while the visible consecration cavity on the back confirms its ritual life within a temple or shrine.
Amitabha’s calm expression and symbolic hand gestures invite contemplation and the promise of rebirth in the Western Pure Land. The sculpture exemplifies the union of devotional intent and refined craftsmanship in late imperial China.
Estimate: $4,000–$6,000
Provenance: private Los Angeles collection
Guardians of the Buddhist path
Pair of 18th century Chinese Qing wooden lohans with glass eyes
These sensitively carved lohans—enlightened disciples of the Buddha—sit in quiet contemplation, their individualized faces animated by deeply set glass eyes. One conceals his hands within his robe, the other cradles a bowl, gestures that emphasize humility and discipline.
Once awakened through an eye-opening ceremony, such figures were believed to house spiritual presence, acting as protectors of the Buddhist faith. Their survival with intact prayer niches adds to their rarity and devotional resonance.
Estimate: $3,600–$5,400
Provenance: private Los Angeles collection
Earth, fertility, and ritual memory
Taíno stone lizard effigy (ca. 1000–1500 CE)
Carved from dense stone, this Taíno lizard effigy reflects the spiritual worldview of the pre-Columbian Caribbean. Lizards were associated with fertility, renewal, and the life force of the earth, and such sculptures likely played a role in ceremonial or agricultural rites connected to zemi worship.
Its simplified, powerful form underscores the symbolic language of Taíno ritual art—where meaning outweighed ornament, and stone became a conduit between humans and the natural world.
Estimate: $3,000–$4,500
Provenance: private Massachusetts collection
