Artemis Fine Arts and Arte Primitivo set September 15-16 online-only auction

Artemis Fine Arts and Arte Primitivo will stage a two-day online-only auction Sept. 15-16, mixing Pre-Columbian, Native American and fossil material on Day 1 with classical, Egyptian, African, Asian and other antiquities on Day 2. The sale highlights major gold, marble, bronze, textile and fossil lots, with bidding open across multiple platforms and a live-style closing format.

Why it matters: - The sale brings together two specialist firms with deep expertise in ancient, ethnographic and Pre-Columbian art. - The auction spans categories that often draw different collector bases, which can widen bidder interest and push competition on top lots. - The format combines an online-only sale with a live-style sequential close, changing how bidders need to participate.

What happened: - Artemis Fine Arts, working with Arte Primitivo, announced an online-only auction for Sept. 15-16. - Day 1 covers Pre-Columbian, Spanish Colonial, Native American art and fossils. - Day 2 covers Greek, Roman, Egyptian, African/Tribal and Asian art and relics. - The auction opens at 9 a.m. MT / 11 a.m. ET on both days. - Bidding is open through Artemis Fine Arts’ platform, Arte Primitivo’s online bidding system, LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable and Drouot. - The main auction will run in a live-style format, with lots closing sequentially rather than independently. - An Arte Primitivo post-auction sale of unsold lots will follow in a timed format.

The details: - The jointly produced auction is the fourth collaboration between Artemis Fine Arts and Arte Primitivo. - The two firms said they plan more auction collaborations in the months ahead. - Day 1’s top Pre-Columbian lots include a cast gold Saurian pectoral deity pendant from Cocle, circa 800-1425 CE, estimated at $75,000-$85,000. - Another Day 1 highlight is a cast and hammered gold pectoral from Central America’s Diquis region, circa 750-1450 CE, also estimated at $75,000-$85,000. - A massive gray volcanic stone brazier in the form of Huehueteotl from Teotihuacan, circa 450-650 CE, carries a $20,000-$25,000 estimate. - A pale marble cylindrical vessel from the Ulua Valley, circa 500-800 CE, is estimated at $20,000-$30,000. - A sheet metal Moche mask from the North Coast, circa 100-500 CE, is estimated at $15,000-$20,000. - A Huari handspun cotton panel with a deity visage, circa 600-800 CE, is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. - The Day 1 Spanish Colonial material includes a Bolivian ecclesiastical silver processional lantern, circa 1700-1799, estimated at $30,000-$35,000. - Another Spanish Colonial lot is an Andean silver acetre with Devil of Puno masks, estimated at $12,000-$15,000. - Day 1 Native American material includes a California Youkuts polychrome coiled basket, estimated at $8,000-$12,000, and a Hohokam storage jar, estimated at $3,000-$4,500. - Day 1 fossils are led by a Dinocrocuta skull from the Miocene, about 10 million years old, estimated at $30,000-$45,000. - Another fossil highlight is a Stegodon skull with mandible and tusks from Solo River, Central Java, 1-2 million years old, estimated at $30,000-$40,000. - Day 2 includes 353 lots of Classical Antiquities, African/Tribal and Asian material. - A Near East Marlik culture silver beaker from circa 1100-800 BCE, previously auctioned by Bonhams London in 1995, is estimated at $15,000-$20,000. - A life-size Roman marble head, Imperial period circa 100-300 CE, is estimated at $30,000-$35,000. - A bearded silen maskette from Magna Graecia, circa 200-100 BCE, was previously auctioned by Christie’s New York in 2019 and carries a $15,000-$25,000 estimate. - Egyptian highlights include a bronze figure of Nephthys, circa 664-30 BCE, estimated at $15,000-$20,000. - Another Egyptian lot is a faience ushabti for General Ankh-Wahibre-Sa-Nieth, formerly exhibited at the Antiken Museum in Basel, with a $15,000-$18,000 estimate. - African and Tribal highlights include a New Zealand Maori tekoteko ancestral guardian figure, circa 1800-1920, estimated at $22,500-$35,000. - A Nicobar Islands seated female guardian figure, circa 1800-1930, is estimated at $15,000-$20,000. - A Dogon support post from Mali, circa 1850-1900, is published in Togu Na: The African Dogon – House of Men, House of Words and is estimated at $12,000-$18,000. - A Maori pounamu hei tiki pendant is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. - Asian highlights include a Tang Dynasty gilded crown from China, circa 700 CE, estimated at $15,000-$20,000. - A Chinese wall-painting fragment from the Song/Ming period, circa 13th-16th century CE, is estimated at $10,000-$15,000. - A Tibetan Buddhist tantric ritual apron, or rus gyan, with matching arm ornaments, is estimated at $10,000-$12,000. - The sale was curated by Bob Dodge of Artemis Fine Arts and Howard Rose of Arte Primitivo. - Artemis Fine Arts and Arte Primitivo both offer worldwide shipping and in-house shipping departments. - View all lots in the online catalog or bid at the auction platform.

Between the lines: - The lineup leans on high-end objects with strong provenance, prior auction history or publication references, which can help validate value for collectors. - The mix of categories suggests both firms are trying to keep their core clients engaged while attracting broader cross-category bidding. - The live-style close may favor prepared bidders who can stay active through the sequence instead of waiting for fixed end times.

What's next: - Absentee bidding is already underway. - Dedicated specialists from both firms will be available by phone before, during and after the auction. - Buyers can also use the post-auction sale to pursue unsold lots after the main event. - Additional collaboration between Artemis Fine Arts and Arte Primitivo is expected in coming months.

The bottom line: - The Sept. 15-16 sale is a broad, high-value test of demand across ancient art, tribal art and fossils, powered by two established specialists and a more auction-room-style online format.