On August 22, 2025, at 8:00 AM MDT, Artemis Fine Arts will host an
online-only auction featuring Indigenous artworks from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts
in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a nonprofit dedicated to promoting global Indigenous arts, the Coe Center is rehoming its collection, and all proceeds from this auction will fund grants for the Rehoming Program. In this image:
Exhibited / Early Papua New Guinea Massim Tabuya (Wave Splitter)
. Estimate $2,500-$4,500.
Exhibited Papua New Guinea Massim Wood Pig Figurine
. Oceania, Melanesia, Papua New Guinea, Massim Culture, ca. early 20th century CE. An endearing pig statue, carved from hardwood and pigmented with lime, rendered with soft contours and whimsical detail. Estimate $800-$1,500.
Early Papua New Guinea Sissano Lagoon Painted Wood Paddle
. Oceania, Melanesia, West Papua New Guinea, Sissano Lagoon, ca. early 20th century CE. A vividly painted wooden paddle from the Sissano Lagoon region of Humboldt Bay, its elongated blade and slender shaft embodying the dual artistry and practicality of Papua New Guinea's northern coastal traditions. Estimate $1,200-$1,800.
Large Papua New Guinea Bailer Shell / Prestige Ornament
. Oceania, Melanesia, Papua New Guinea, ca. early 20th century CE. A substantial breast ornament fashioned from a large, lustrous bailer shell, featuring a smooth, domed exterior and a deep, concave interior. Estimate $1,000-$1,800.
Australian Aboriginal Snake Effigy, Sinuous Carving
. Australia, first half 20th century CE. An elegantly carved wooden snake figure, rendered in a dynamic, undulating posture and decorated with an intricate pattern of red ochre dot motifs throughout the body. Estimate $400-$600.
Micronesian Woven Magimagi / Fishing Trap (for Moray Eels)
. Oceania, Micronesia / Melanesia, ca. mid- 20th century CE. A woven fishing trap of remarkable craftsmanship, constructed from bent saltbush sticks and tightly lashed with twisted coconut coir fiber cordage- locally known as magimagi. Estimate $2,500-$4,500.
Refined Tongan Headrest / Kali - Crescent & Circle Inlay
. South Pacific, Polynesia, Island of Tonga, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A beautifully sculpted Tongan wooden headrest (kali), gracefully carved from a single piece of dark hardwood. Small shell inlay on each end - crescent moon shape on one and small circle on other. Estimate $1,200-$1,800.
Early Fijian Wooden Yaqona (Kava) Bowl, Tanoa with Six Legs
. Oceania, Polynesia, Fiji, possibly Lau, ca. early 20th century CE. A finely hand-carved wooden yaqona (kava) bowl, or tanoa, supported on six sturdy cylindrical legs radiating from the deep, rounded basin. Estimate $1,000-$1,800.
Early Sumatran Iron Vessel for Tooth Blackening Rituals
. Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Sumatra, Lampung region, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A forged iron soot vessel or tooth-blackening dish, formed in the stylized shape of a fantastical zoomorphic figure. Estimate $800-$1,500.
Early / Ornate Dayak Knife - Bone Beast Pommel & Iron Blade
. Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Borneo, Central Kalimantan, Dayak peoples, ca. 19th to 20th century CE. An ornate knife featuring a richly detailed bone handle embellished with bold black cow horn rings. Estimate $800-$1,500.
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