BOULDER, CO.- Artemis Fine Arts will open February with a wide-ranging auction that moves confidently across centuries, cultures, and continents.
PreColumbian | Antiquities | Fine Arts, beginning February 1, 2026 at 1:00 PM CST, brings together museum-quality works from the ancient world alongside rare fossils and modern sculpture, all offered from the firm’s Boulder, Colorado saleroom.
The sale reflects Artemis Fine Arts’ curatorial approach: objects are selected not only for visual impact, but also for historical depth and documented provenance. From Southeast Asian devotional sculpture and Indian temple reliefs to Ice Age megafauna and Pre-Columbian goldwork, the auction presents a cross-section of humanity’s artistic and symbolic expression. All items have been legally acquired and approved for sale, with in-house shipping available for most lots.
A devotional centerpiece from Thailand
Rattanakosin Triad Buddha and Monks Divine Parasol. Starting Bid: $4,000
One of the most striking offerings is a Rattanakosin Triad Buddha and Monks with Divine Parasol, dated to the 19th–early 20th century and estimated at $8,000–$12,000. The ensemble features a standing Buddha sheltered by a tiered parasol and flanked by two monks in prayerful poses. Cast in sections and richly detailed with rosette-patterned robes and glass-enamel eyes, the sculpture exemplifies the refined courtly aesthetics of the Rattanakosin period. The removable parasol, with mirrored glass inlays and brass openwork, elevates the piece from devotional object to architectural presence.
Relics of the Ice Age
Fossilized Woolly Mammoth Tusk, 5.3 Feet Long! Starting Bid: $3,000
Bridging natural history and sculpture is a fossilized woolly mammoth tusk measuring an impressive 5.3 feet along its outer curve. Estimated at $6,000–$9,000, the tusk dates to the Late Pleistocene Epoch and displays natural tonal variation from long-term burial. Sourced from a private Colorado collection, the piece is classified as an ESA-exempt example of mammoth ivory, with clear disclosure regarding U.S. state and international shipping restrictions.
Modern bronze in abstract form
Thelma Weresh Bronze Sculptures - "Man" & "Woman". Starting Bid: $2,750.
The auction also highlights American modernism through a rare pair of bronzes by Thelma Weresh (1919–2016), co-founder of the Loveland Invitational Sculpture Show. Titled Man and Woman, each cast in an edition of six, the sculptures depart from Weresh’s more representational style in favor of abstraction. Angular geometry defines Man, while Woman is rendered in fluid, curving volumes. Estimated at $5,500–$8,500, the pair is presented on custom rotating stands, inviting viewers to engage the works in the round.
Myth and guardianship in Burmese art
19th C. Burmese Pyinsarupa Temple Guardians w/ Antlers. Starting Bid: $2,750
From 19th-century Burma (Myanmar) comes a dramatic pair of Pyinsarupa temple guardian heads with attached deer antlers. Estimated at $5,500–$8,250, these fierce carvings depict a mythical chimera believed to ward off evil spirits. Their exaggerated features—bulging eyes, fangs, and trunk-like noses—underscore the protective role such figures played in sacred architecture, while the later-added antlers heighten their theatrical presence.
A monumental vision of Vishnu
13th C. Indian Relief Anantashayana Vishnu w/ Lakshmi. Starting Bid: $2,000.
Among the most historically significant works is a 13th-century Indian terracotta relief of Anantashayana Vishnu with Lakshmi, estimated at $4,000–$6,000. Likely produced in Bengal or Orissa during the eastern Ganga period, the relief shows Vishnu reclining on the cosmic serpent Ananta, attended by Lakshmi at his feet. Though preserved in three sections, the sculpture retains its compositional power and offers a rare glimpse into medieval Hindu temple decoration.
Gold from the ancient Andes
Rare Tiwanaku Gold Tupu Pin w/ Zoomorphs. Starting Bid: $2,500
Rounding out the highlights is a rare Tiwanaku gold tupu pin from Peru, dating to 400–1100 CE and estimated at $5,000–$8,000. Crafted in high-purity gold and silver, the brooch is adorned with opposing zoomorphic figures and compares closely to an example held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Its well-documented provenance traces back to prominent mid-20th-century collections in New York and Los Angeles.
Together, these lots define an auction that is as intellectually engaging as it is visually compelling. With works spanning ancient ritual, natural history, and modern abstraction, PreColumbian | Antiquities | Fine Arts offers collectors an opportunity to acquire objects that speak not only to beauty, but to humanity’s enduring impulse to create, believe, and remember.
