BOULDER, CO.- Artemis Fine Arts will open its upcoming auction of Native American, ethnographic, and ancient art on February 20, 2026 at 9:00 AM CST, bringing together a broad selection of cultural artifacts, antiquities, and artworks spanning continents and centuries. The Boulder-based sale includes material from Native American, Northwest Coast, Pre-Columbian, Oceanic, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern, and Asian traditions, alongside ethnographic objects, fossils, and fine art.

The auction’s highlights reflect Artemis Fine Arts’ characteristic blend of archaeological material, historical objects, and modern artworks, appealing to collectors interested in both ancient civilizations and more recent cultural history.


Buddhist Gilt Copper Chaitya Stupa w/ Amitayus Buddha. Estimate: $6,000 - $9,000.

Among the most notable lots is a 19th-century gilt-copper Buddhist chaitya stupa from Nepal or Tibet, estimated at $6,000–$9,000. The ornate devotional object features a multi-tiered architectural form rising from a lotus-petal base symbolizing spiritual purity. Within its torana-style niche sits Amitayus Buddha in meditation, holding the sacred ambrosia vessel associated with longevity and enlightenment. Decorative garlands, miniature bells, and a spire crowned with enamel and coral cabochons enhance the piece’s ritual presence, while a dorje symbol stamped on the sealed base suggests it may once have held consecrated offerings.


Rodolfo Morales Mixed Media Collage (1993). Estimate: $5,000 - $7,500

A significant Latin American artwork in the sale is a 1993 mixed-media collage by Mexican artist Rodolfo Morales, estimated at $5,000–$7,500. Hand-signed by the artist, the piece showcases Morales’ distinctive dreamlike imagery through layered textiles, foil, embroidery, and decorative elements forming abstract human profiles flanking a stylized flowering cactus. Morales, born in Oaxaca and internationally recognized from the 1970s onward, became known for bridging folklore, memory, and fantasy in both painting and collage, while also supporting architectural restoration projects in his hometown through the Rodolfo Morales Cultural Foundation.


1917 Gorham Cocktail Shaker Shrapnel Shell 18 Pounder. Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000

The auction also features a striking example of early twentieth-century design: a World War I-era Gorham cocktail shaker modeled after an eighteen-pounder shrapnel shell, estimated at $4,000–$6,000. Produced around 1917–1918, the brass and copper barware includes a strainer cap, shaker vessel, and hollow base for storing cups. Its etched presentation inscription links it to the U.S.S. Narwhal, adding historical resonance to a form prized by collectors of antique barware.


Egyptian Middle Kingdom Bronze Dagger. Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000

From the ancient world, a Middle Kingdom Egyptian bronze dagger dating to approximately 2055–1650 BCE carries an estimate of $4,000–$6,000. The dagger’s long triangular blade and integral hilt demonstrate the growing sophistication of copper-alloy metallurgy during a period of political renewal in Egypt. Although its original bone or ivory pommel is missing, surviving rivet holes reveal the weapon’s composite construction. Daggers of this type functioned not only as practical sidearms but also as markers of rank and were sometimes placed in tombs as symbols of protection and authority.


Western Leather Batwing Chaps - Purported John Wayne. Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000

American cultural history is represented by a dramatic pair of mid-20th-century leather batwing chaps, also estimated at $4,000–$6,000, purportedly worn by Hollywood icon John Wayne. Crafted from heavy brown leather and decorated with metal studs forming stars, crescents, and shield motifs, the chaps embody the visual mythology of the American West as shaped by both ranch life and cinema. Their broad silhouette, studded borders, and concho-anchored ties reflect traditional Western saddlery techniques.


Published Quapaw Pottery Stirrup Vessel - Intact! Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000

Another notable archaeological piece is an intact Quapaw stirrup pottery vessel from the southeastern United States, dating to the 16th–17th century CE, with an estimate of $4,000–$6,000. Recovered from the Lipsky Site in Arkansas and published in scholarly studies of Quapaw ceramics, the vessel features a rounded body and expanded stirrup handle forming a bold arch above the spout. Its unadorned surface highlights subtle firing patterns and the elegance of its proportions, offering insight into Indigenous ceramic traditions along the Mississippi River corridor during the early historic period.

Together, the lots illustrate Artemis Fine Arts’ focus on objects that combine artistic merit, historical narrative, and documented provenance. With material ranging from ancient Egypt to twentieth-century Hollywood and modern Latin American art, the February auction presents a cross-cultural survey likely to attract collectors across multiple specialties.