The Artemis Gallery in the US will unlock the mysteries of ancient times on June 11 with a 225-lot auction of important classical antiquities, plus ancient and ethnographic art. The carefully curated selection includes museum-quality pieces from Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Asian, Pre-Columbian and Native-American cultures. Additionally, there are several important Celtic and Viking relics and gold jewelry items, as well as fine paintings of Russian and western European origin, including a 17th-century Spanish oil portrait by E. L. Garrido.
A polychrome gesso box with four hieroglyphic panels dating to Egypt’s 26th dynasty (662-525 BC), with each panel painted with the image of an animal (jackal, beetle) or a human face is one of the items for auction and is estimated at $40,000-$60,000, reports the gallery’s website.
A prized Southeast Asian highlight is the 22+ karat gold Burmese Buddha that dates to the 12th century. The 2¼-inch repousse figurine was previously part of a private collection in Palm Beach, Florida. It is expected to fetch $20,000-$30,000.
From northwestern Greece, (6th to 5th century BC) is an Illyrian hammered bronze helmet expected to fetch $20,000-$30,000.
Made in the Roman Empire, 1st to 3rd century CE, a large and finely sculpted marble head of a man displays realistic facial details and a pensive expression. Reflective of an artistic style that was favored in the Augustan and Julio-Claudian periods, the sculpture measures 18¼ inches in height and is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.
Among other artifacts is an original Bactrian composite stone idol from central Asia, circa late 3rd to early 2nd millennium BC, modeled in the form of a seated person in a patterned robe, with stone arms extended on a platform. Most excavated examples of this type have been discovered at sites in Margiana, in southern Turkmenistan. It is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.
From the Rio Magdalena region of Colombia, (circa 800 to 1500 AD ) is a decorative pottery urn, with a seated male figure that serves as the lid’s finial adorned with shell beads, a molded self-necklace and original copper nose ring. The vessel stands 34 inches tall and is estimated at $15,000-$20,000.
