Best Photos of the Day

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. In this image: Fine Mexican Teponaztli Wooden Slit Drum in Lion Form. Estimate: $2,500 - $3,500.

Mississippian Mythological Cat Serpent Pottery Vessel. Native American, Midwestern / Southeastern United States, Mississippian culture, ca. 1200 to 1500 CE. A sculptural ceramic bowl modeled with the celebrated "cat-serpent" motif, a mythological creature combining attributes of a wild feline and a horned serpent and widely understood as a powerful water-spirit or cosmological being in Mississippian belief systems. Estimate: $1,900 - $2,850.

Paleolithic French Acheulean Coup de Poing Hand Axe. Western Europe, Northern France, Saint-Acheul, Paleolithic, Acheulean period, ca. 1,000,000 to 200,000 years ago. An almond-shaped hand axe of classic 'coup de poing' form, knapped from flint with bifacial flaking that creates a balanced, pointed silhouette. The term coup de poing, French for 'fist strike,' refers to these handheld tools designed to be gripped directly in the palm and used for cutting, chopping, scraping, and general processing tasks. Estimate: $1,500 - $2,500.

2 Huari Humaya Style Polychrome Pottery Cups, TL Tested. Pre-Columbian, Central Coast Peru, Huari (Wari) culture, ca. 600 to 900 CE. A pair of hand-built Humaya style pottery cups, each formed with a broad flaring body rising from a small ring base. Both are decorated in red, white, and black slip pigments, creating bold vertical panels adorned with dotted and linear motifs. Estimate: $1,700 - $2,450.

Madagascar Douvilleiceras Ammonite Fossil on Stand. East Africa, Madagascar, Early Cretaceous Period (Albian), ca. 125 to 89 million years ago. A fossilized ammonite shell from the genus Douvilleiceras, known for its robust whorls, pronounced ribbing, and nodular ornamentation that has led to the informal nickname "tractor ammonite" due to its tread-like surface. Estimate: $1,400 - $2,250.

Three Byzantine Pottery Sphero-Conical Vessels. Eastern Mediterranean, Byzantine Empire, ca. 10th to 13th century CE. A trio of stout, enigmatic sphero-conical vessels rises from the Byzantine twilight, each one shaped for the hand and carved with designs that still murmur old secrets. These fired-clay containers belong to a class of multipurpose vessels whose functions have long fascinated scholars, for they appear at the crossroads of daily life, ritual, science, and warfare. Estimate: $1,400 - $2,000.

15th C. Indian Bronze Lingam With Naga. South Asia, India, ca. 15th century CE. A finely cast leaded bronze lingam, the sacred emblem of Shiva, rising from a square base and crowned by a protective naga serpent. The cylindrical shaft is surmounted by a hooded cobra, its broad canopy unfurling dramatically over the lingam to signify divine guardianship. Estimate: $1,500 - $2,150.

19th C. Indian Himachal Wood Noodle Maker - Ram Form. South Asia, north India, Himachal Pradesh, ca. late 19th to 20th century CE. A rare and whimsical hand-carved wooden noodle maker in the form of a standing ram. The figure rests sturdily on four legs, its head carved to serve as a handle for grip, while the forelegs and hindlegs form the base supports. Estimate: $1,200 - $1,850.

Merovingian Gilt Silver Fibula w/ Amethyst Inlays. Western Europe, France / Gaul, Merovingian Dynasty, Migration Period, ca. 5th to 6th century CE. An exquisite Merovingian gilt silver fibula, masterfully cast and richly ornamented, set with three deep purple amethyst cabochons. The piece takes the form of a stylized zoomorphic or palmette-headed brooch, its broad fan-shaped head framed by flowing, incised lines that converge along a gently arched body, tapering to a rounded foot. Estimate: $1,200 - $1,850.