Gold fashioned into divine beings, ceremonial regalia, protective amulets and personal adornment takes center stage in the September 15 and 16 auctions presented by
Artemis Fine Arts
and Arte Primitivo. Spanning Panama, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Central Asia and China, the selection shows how gold could signify authority, protection and ritual status as much as wealth.
Coclé Gold Saurian Deity Pectoral with Alligator Headdress
. Panama, Coclé culture, ca. 800–1425 CE. Weight: 205 grams. Estimate: $75,000–$85,000.
Among the strongest Pre-Columbian works is
Lot 138, a Quimbaya cast-gold female figure with danglers
, estimated at $75,000–$85,000. Made in Colombia around 400–700 CE and weighing 115 grams, the crowned woman wears elaborate regalia, while suspended gold elements would have added movement and reflected light.
Human and animal imagery merge in
Lot 143, a Muisca sheet-gold bird-human pectoral from Colombia
, estimated at $30,000–$35,000. Dating to ca. 1000–1425 CE, the hammered-gold ornament combines an avian silhouette with a crowned human figure, linking gold with rank, ritual authority and ideas of transformation.
Prestige through movement defines
Lot 156, a Tairona gold crescent ear ornament with coiled hoops
, estimated at $10,000–$12,000. Made in Colombia between about 600 and 1450 CE, its 52 small hoops would have trembled and flashed as the wearer moved, creating a striking display of status.
Ceremonial performance is captured in
Lot 149, a Veraguas gold pectoral depicting twin trumpeters with a cayman backplate
, estimated at $9,000–$12,000. Made in Panama around 1000–1250 CE, the ornament combines musicians, animal imagery and precious metal in a compact expression of ritual authority.
Protective power appears on an intimate scale in
Lot 441, an Egyptian miniature gold amulet of Bastet
, estimated at $4,000–$5,000. Dating to the New Kingdom around 1400 BCE, the tiny seated cat invokes Bastet, a deity associated with household protection, women and children.
Animal imagery also defines
Lot 386, an ancient Scythian gold lion appliqué with carnelian inlay
, estimated at $5,000–$8,000. Dating to ca. 500–200 BCE, the crouching feline combines high-purity sheet gold with carnelian details and was likely attached to clothing, horse equipment or another elite object.
Hellenistic refinement is evident in
Lot 388, a pair of Hellenistic Greek gold earrings terminating in antelope heads
, estimated at $4,000–$5,000. Made in Magna Graecia around 300–100 BCE, the earrings combine miniature animal heads with granulation, filigree and tightly worked gold wire.
Protective symbolism is central to
Lot 382, a published pair of Roman gold and onyx cameo earrings with gorgoneia
, estimated at $15,000–$22,500. Dating to about 200–250 CE, the earrings pair Medusa cameos with female profiles, combining luxury jewelry with the Gorgon's traditional apotropaic role.
The group extends to Tang Dynasty China with
Lot 638, a Tang Dynasty gilded repoussé crown decorated with phoenixes, a pagoda and flames
, estimated at $15,000–$20,000. Dating to around the 8th century CE, its gilded openwork combines auspicious birds, vegetation and architecture in an elaborate display of elite Tang craftsmanship.
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