Best Photos of the Day

Artemis Fine Arts presents its Christmas Day Charity Auction for Community Food Share, an online-only timed sale taking place on December 25 at 1:00 PM (GMT-6). Based in Boulder, Colorado, Artemis brings together art and philanthropy in support of Community Food Share, a Feeding America food bank serving Boulder and Broomfield Counties. With $2,500 of proceeds donated by Artemis, the auction offers collectors the opportunity to support an important cause while participating in a meaningful holiday sale. In this image: Two Ancient Akkadian & Sasanian Chalcedony Seal Beads. Est: $500 USD - $750 USD.

Ancient Egyptian Faience Beaded Necklace. Egypt, New Kingdom to Late Dynastic Period, ca. 1550 to 332 BCE. A necklace composed of ancient faience beads, re-strung in modern times to create a wearable piece of jewelry. The necklace is formed from petite turquoise-hued disk beads arranged in an openwork ladder pattern, displaying the luminous glaze so prized in Egyptian faience. The ancient beads are secured with a modern magnetic clasp for ease of wear. Size: 20.5" L x 0.75" W (52.1 cm x 1.9 cm); largest bead: 0.1" Diameter (0.3 cm) Est: $500 USD - $750 USD.

Ashanti Wood Stool w/ Adinkra Unity Motifs. West Africa, Ghana, Asante (Ashanti) people, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A low stool, known as a dwa, carved from a single block of dense hardwood and finished with a dark varnish, its form and motifs inspired by Adinkra symbols. The gently curved seat is adorned with low-relief geometric patterns, while the reticulated, interlocking base provides not only structural stability but also symbolizes unity and continuity within Ashanti cultural belief. Est: $500 USD - $750 USD.

Early Classic Veracruz Pottery Human Head Fragment. Pre-Columbian, Gulf Coast of Mexico, Veracruz (also Totonac or Totonaca), Early Classic period, ca. 200 to 550 CE. A pottery head fragment from the Gulf Coast of Mexico, hand-built from buff clay, this fragment preserves the delicate facial features of an ancient figure, likely once part of a larger figurine or ceremonial incensario effigy. Est: $500 USD - $750 USD.

Amlash / Marlik Pottery Pitcher w/ Horse Head Handle. Near East / Central Asia, Northern Iran, Marlik or Cheragh-Ali Teppe region, Amlash / Amardi culture, Iron Age, ca. 1200 to 600 BCE. A petite pottery pouring vessel featuring a tubular spout and a handle with a restored horse head motif. While the restoration incorporated a horse head, evidence that this was the original design on this pot is unclear. However, bovine and other ungulate motifs were frequently used in pottery from this region, often appearing as handles or spouts, blending symbolic meaning with functionality. Est: $500 USD - $750 USD.

Roman Holy Land Pottery Vessels - Ribbed Jar and Beaker. Roman Empire, Holy Land, ca. 1st century CE. A pair of pottery vessels characteristic of daily life in the Roman provinces of the Levant. The set comprises a wide-bodied ribbed jar with a short neck and flared rim, together with a tall conical beaker with ridged walls and a broad, thickened lip. Est: $450 USD - $675 USD.

Two Ancient Southwestern Hohokam Shell Bracelets. Native American, Southwestern United States, Arizona, & Northern Mexico, Hohokam culture, ca. 300 to 1450 CE. Two bracelets carved from clam shell, each shaped into a continuous bangle. The Hohokam culture, centered in the deserts of southern Arizona and extending into northern Mexico, often traded with coastal groups to obtain large shells of Glycymeris gigantea, a mollusk found along the Pacific coast of Baja and Mexico, which they fashioned into ornaments such as this. Est: $450 USD - $675 USD.

17th C. Pottery Pilgrim Icon Pendants of Virgin & Child. Eastern Europe, Bulgaria, ca. 17th to 18th century CE. A group of six pottery pendant plaques depicting the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child in the Eleusa (Virgin of Tenderness) type, the infant nestled against her cheek in a gesture of intimacy and compassion. The figures are lightly stamped in shallow relief, with heavy surface wear from touch. Each is pierced at the top for suspension, likely serving as personal devotional objects known as scapular or pilgrimage souvenirs. Size of largest: 1.5" L x 1" W (3.8 cm x 2.5 cm) Est: $450 USD - $675 USD.

Papua New Guinea Crocodile Canoe Prow, Ancestral Spirit. Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Sepik River region, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A large wooden canoe prow shaped in the powerful form of a crocodile head, a revered creature in local belief systems. The prow is intricately incised with flowing, curvilinear patterns and raised motifs that accentuate the elongated snout and prominent eyes. Est: $450 USD - $675 USD.

Cameo Jewelry Collection: Brooches, Pendants & Ring. Europe & United States, ca. late 19th to mid-20th century CE. A collection of 11 cameo jewels including brooches, pendants, and a ring, carved in shell and enamel and mounted in varied metals. Portrait cameos of classical women in profile, including a repousse brass piece, a large brass setting with a lady wearing a necklace, a petite gold-set brooch, a silver-mounted cameo with a filigree floral border, a large brooch depicting a charioteer in a leaded-brass setting, and a pink cameo brooch framed in a wavy scalloped leaded-brass bezel. Est: $450 USD - $675 USD.