BOULDER, Colo. — On Thursday, May 19, Artemis Gallery will auction a very special collection of Hollywood Hills artwork that includes coveted ceramics by Picasso and Rookwood. This bustling private collection is one of the highlights of the company’s 153-lot auction event, comprised primarily of classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from many of the most influential and famous cultures. of the world. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African/Tribal, Oceanian and Spanish civilizations from the colonial era are represented. All auction items are guaranteed authentic, legally acquired and legal to resell, if desired. Bid remotely or live via the Internet via LiveAuctioneers.
Ancient Egyptian art reflects the mystery of the dynasties that ruled the Nile region, including their spiritual beliefs and burial practices. It is particularly fascinating for collectors when an object sheds light on the way of life of the first Egyptians. A striking example is the sculpted and polychrome painted limestone panel in bas-relief that opens the May 19 sale. Dating from the 11th to 13th dynasty, circa 2130-1649 BCE, it depicts a laborer or farm laborer wearing a shendyt kilt and carrying a pole over his shoulder. He is depicted hairless, with distinctive features visible in profile.
“Relief artwork like this often served to illustrate part of a larger story about a journey or encounter with deities in the afterlife,” said Teresa Dodge, the gallery’s executive director. Artemis. The panel entered in the auction was given an estimate of $18,000 to $27,000.
A fine array of ancient Greek art will cross the auction block, including bronzes and a variety of decorative pottery. Dating to around 520 BCE, a graceful black-figure amphora from Athens stands 17.75 inches tall, with distinctive images on both sides. Side A depicts Dionysus, god of wine and revelry, holding a drinking horn and flanked by a pair of dancing maenads. Side B features a war scene with Athena and three other characters – two of whom are probably prisoners of war. The bid estimate is $22,000 to $33,000.
About two dozen lots of Roman art reflect the variety and abundance of talent in the empire, including sculptors, glassmakers, carvers, and lapidarists. A large, expressive Roman marble spout in the shape of a lion’s head, probably from an ancient fountain, dates from the Imperial period, around the 3rd century AD. His estimate is $7,000 to $10,500. Also from the Imperial period, a whimsical bronze oil lamp in the form of an erotic satyr is expected to fetch between $11,000 and $16,500; while a rare iron field folding stool known as the saddle castrensiswhich would have been reserved for Roman officers, could land between $13,000 and $20,000.
Around the same time, the Egyptian New Kingdom was flourishing, as was the Olmec culture (from southern Mexico to Guatemala) on the other side of the Earth. Among the Olmec treasures up for auction is a rare and magnificent light green jadeite ceremonial pectoral or funerary mask dating from 1500 to 550 BCE. The clever relic is sculpted in relief with the image of jaguars soaring alongside scroll symbols, accented with pierced buttons.
“This wonderfully decorative piece would almost certainly have been made for an important figure – perhaps a ruler or a shaman,” Dodge said. Its impressive lineage of provenance includes a review and authentication in 1970 by renowned Mesoamerican archaeologist Dr. Hasso Von Winning. Estimate: $15,000 to $20,000
Many collectors of pre-Columbian art are charmed by the red dogs of Colima in western Mexico. The example presented at the May 19 sale is unusual in that it is made in the form of an emaciated dog with incised feet and a spout. The dog resided for many decades in the same family, who acquired it by descent in the 1940s from relatives in Jalisco, Mexico. It was imported to the United States in the 1970s. This most unusual dog, made around 300 BCE to 300 CE, is auctioned off with an estimate of $3,600 to $5,400.
Bidders can choose from dozens of lots of exquisite Asian art, such as a 3rd century CE Gandharan Empire greenschist sculpture depicting Bodhisattva Maitreya (the earthly Buddha). The serene deity is depicted in the lotus position, with masterfully carved pleats on the long robe, as well as a dotted belt and several “jewels”. It is similar to examples held in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Estimate: $22,000 to $33,000
Rare and spectacular, an 8th-11th century Javanese gold leaf funerary mask with the face of Kala, the Javanese god of death and the underworld, is clearly the work of an artist with a sophisticated approach and vivid imagination. The mesmerizing face looks outward with bared teeth and huge bulging eyes under deeply furrowed brows. This cultural status symbol with a weight of 70.8 grams has a gold quality of 60.83% to 67.04%. For reference, there are earlier examples of this type of mask at the Yale University Art Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Its auction estimate is $15,000 to $22,500.
The Artemis Gallery Fine Arts Team is delighted to present the aforementioned Hollywood Hills Collection featuring Pablo Picasso pottery (Spanish, 1881-1973) and Rookwood ceramics. Five drawings by Picasso created at the Madoura pottery workshop in Vallauris, France, will be presented. They include a 1955 Picador plate, $2,500 to $3,500; a framed 1956 Masquerade ceramic tiles, $4,000 to $6,000; and two black-and-white glazed vessels with images of a bull under a tree and a bird on a branch, respectively. Carefully overseeing the group is a superb example of Picasso’s 1969 Owl Vase (owl), #135 from an edition of 250. Semi-glazed, its hand painting reproduces a plumage, a beak and large round eyes in a staring gaze. The bird stands 11.2 inches tall and is listed in near-choice condition, with all required stamps and incised marks that identify genuine Picasso Madoura wares. A Picasso Chouette vase sold at Bonhams UK last December for the equivalent of $17,316. Artemis Gallery gave the example in its sale an estimate of $12,000 to $18,000.
Five beautiful Rookwood vases are included in the Hollywood Hills collection, each hand painted, signed, numbered and dated. Each of the vases is the work of an acclaimed Rookwood artist, the oldest being a 1905 Frederick Rothenbusch Arts & Crafts design featuring white roses on a pale azure background. It is estimated between $1,000 and $1,500. Other vases reflect the artistic talents of Sallie Coyne (1925), $600-800; Elizabeth Lincoln (1919), $500-$800; Margaret McDonald (1926), $700-$900; and Charles McLaughlin (1917), $800-$1,000.
The Artemis Gallery Antiques, Ethnography and Fine Art auction will begin at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday, May 19, 2022. All items come with Artemis Gallery’s guarantee that they are authentic and legal to buy, own and, if desired, resell. An Artemis Gallery certificate of authenticity will accompany each piece. The company ships worldwide and has its own in-house packing and shipping department to ensure quality control. Proxy auctions are currently underway. Detailed and authoritative descriptions and multiple photographic views of each auction lot can be viewed in the online catalog. For more information about an item in the auction, call Teresa Dodge at 720-890-7700 or email [email protected] Bid remotely or live via the Internet via LiveAuctioneers.