BOULDER, COLO.- Artemis Fine Arts will host its October
Timed Marketplace Auction beginning at 4:00 PM GMT-6, delivering a diverse catalog of antiquities, fine art, coins, and collectibles to bidders worldwide. The event is conducted entirely online as a timed sale, which means traditional telephone or absentee bidding will not be accepted, encouraging participants to engage directly through the digital platform.
Artemis Fine Arts has cultivated a reputation for curating high-quality cultural objects sourced from respected collections across North America and Europe. This upcoming sale draws on that expertise, presenting works from Egypt, Greece, Italy, the Near East, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Americas, and beyond. Categories include Pre-Columbian and Native American heritage pieces, Spanish Colonial artifacts, decorative antiques, fossils, and visual art.
Key Highlights
18th C. Austrian Wood St. Florian, Fire Protection
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18th C. Austrian Wood St. Florian, Fire Protection. Estimate $500-$750.
One of the most engaging devotional artworks in the sale is an 18th to 19th century carved wooden statue of Saint Florian from Austria, offered with a 500 to 750 dollar estimate. Saint Florian, revered as the patron saint of firefighters and a protector against fire and lightning, is depicted in Roman-style armor and a flowing robe. He stands over a burning building while holding a water bucket in one hand and a banner in the other, representing the legendary act in which he extinguished a raging fire with a single vessel of water. The figure was likely intended for a shrine or public niche, given the flat back and surviving metal loop for display attachment. This sculpture reflects Central European Christian devotion while illustrating the enduring heroic narrative of a Roman officer who chose martyrdom rather than renouncing his faith.
17th C. Pottery Pilgrim Icon Pendants of Virgin and Child
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17th C. Pottery Pilgrim Icon Pendants of Virgin & Child. Estimate $500-$750.
The auction includes a meaningful connection to Eastern European pilgrimage traditions through a group of six Bulgarian pottery pendants from the 17th to 18th century CE, estimated at 500 to 750 dollars. Stamped in shallow relief, the pendants portray the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child in the Eleusa or “tenderness” style, the infant’s cheek resting against his mother’s face. Each pendant is pierced for suspension and shows significant surface wear from devotional handling over generations. These artifacts once served as portable symbols of spiritual protection for pilgrims traveling long distances, reinforcing the deeply personal relationship between faith and movement during the early modern Christian era.
Kenneth Bunn Copper Sculpture, Resting Cat
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Kenneth Bunn Copper Sculpture - Resting Cat. Estimate $700-$1,050.
A captivating contribution from modern wildlife sculpture appears in the copper figure of a resting cat by American artist Kenneth Bunn, carrying an estimate of 700 to 1,050 dollars. Bunn, celebrated for his ability to capture the essence of animals with expressive form rather than strict anatomical detail, shapes the feline curled quietly in repose, its posture relaxed yet attentive. Rhythmic planes and textured surfaces allow the viewer’s imagination to complete the figure, a hallmark of Bunn’s impressionistic sculptural language. Signed on the tail and set on a complementary wooden base, the piece reflects the artist’s belief that spirit and vitality are the true measure of a successful work of wildlife art.
19th C. Chinese Nephrite Jade Openwork Carving with Bird
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19th C. Chinese Nephrite Jade Openwork Carving w/ Bird. Estimate $500-$750
Chinese craftsmanship of the Qing Dynasty flourishes in the sale through a nephrite jade yupei pendant, estimated at 500 to 750 dollars. Carved in openwork into an ovoid shape, the pendant depicts a long-necked bird diving toward water, a composition that emphasizes fluid movement and elegance through negative space. During the Qing era, jade adornments were prized decorative elements for clothing and personal accessories, representing social status and conveying symbolic meaning. This example showcases both artistic refinement and the aesthetic values of Chinese material culture in the 19th century and earlier.
3rd C. Gandharan Pottery Molds for Religious Paneling
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3rd C. Gandharan Pottery Molds (for Religious Paneling). Estimate $500-$750
A rare archaeological group from the Gandharan cultural sphere stands out with five pottery molds dating between the 3rd and 7th centuries CE, also listed with a 500 to 750 dollar estimate. These molds were designed for the creation of relief panels that once adorned sacred architectural spaces, carrying imagery of coiled serpents, a winged horse likely representing Pegasus, a collection of fruits or nuts, a small hemispherical form, and a standing male deity. Their presence in the sale highlights the technical ingenuity behind ancient religious decoration, where repeated iconography served as both artistic embellishment and symbolic communication in regions spanning present-day Pakistan, Afghanistan, and northern India.
