Pre-Columbian Art & Beyond: Timeless Legacies of the Ancient Americas

Minerva Gallery’s Pre-Columbian Art & Beyond auction on November 16, 2025 celebrates the enduring creativity and spiritual depth of the ancient cultures of the Americas. From finely painted Maya ceramics to symbolic adornments of the Tairona, this curated sale offers collectors a rare opportunity to connect with works that blend artistry, ritual, and history.
Below are several highlights from the auction, each an extraordinary testament to the civilizations that shaped the continent’s cultural heritage.

Maya Polychrome Painted Bowl – Cacao Glyph Band (Lot 23)
This beautifully preserved Maya vessel from the Holmul region of Guatemala reflects the central role of cacao in Maya ritual life. Adorned with red, black, and cream polychrome pigments, its glyphic band possibly includes the “ka-ka-w(a)” syllables denoting cacao—a sacred food associated with both the earthly and divine realms.
Rather than a drinking cup, this bowl likely served for cacao-based gruel used in ceremonial contexts. The craftsmanship and symbolic decoration speak to the sophistication of Classic Period Maya society, making this a rare find for collectors interested in Mesoamerican ritual and epigraphy.

Estimate: $800–$1,500
Culture: Maya, Holmul Style, ca. 600–900 CE

Pre-Columbian Nazca Pottery Bowl (Lot 38)
Vibrantly painted in reds, creams, and ochres, this Nazca bowl captures the dynamism of Andean myth and cosmology. Encircling the vessel is a fantastical composite creature, part serpent, part feline, representing the supernatural forces of fertility and water that sustained life in the arid Nazca valleys.
With its elegant balance between abstraction and sacred symbolism, this bowl embodies the aesthetic mastery of Nazca ceramicists. The rhythmic scrolls and geometric motifs evoke the visual language seen on the region’s famous geoglyphs, offering a glimpse into a civilization where art and spirituality were inseparable.

Estimate: $800–$900
Culture: Nazca, South Coast of Peru, ca. 400–650 CE

Pre-Columbian Tairona Stone and Shell Bead Necklace (Lot 4)
Composed of marine shell, sodalite, jasper, and green stone beads, this exquisite multi-strand necklace exemplifies the refined adornment of the Tairona people of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Each bead, hand-carved and naturally patinated, carries the aura of ancient craftsmanship and ceremonial purpose.
The necklace’s inclusion of a small animal tooth suggests protective or shamanic symbolism, reflecting the Tairona belief in the interconnectedness of nature, spirit, and adornment. Professionally restrung for preservation, it’s a wearable artifact that bridges past and present with quiet elegance.

Estimate: $400–$600
Culture: Tairona, Northern Colombia, ca. 1000–1500 CE

Pre-Columbian Maya Pottery Figure (Lot 26)
This expressive terracotta figure, standing just over seven inches tall, captures the human presence central to Maya art. With one arm raised to the head in an unusual, dynamic gesture, the figure likely represents a ritual performer, priest, or noble engaged in ceremony.
The elongated cranial shape and headband headdress reflect elite status, while the naturalistic modeling and burial encrustations attest to its authenticity. It’s a piece that radiates personality and devotion, an enduring connection to the rituals that once animated Maya life.

Estimate: $400–$600
Culture: Maya, Guatemala, Classic Period (ca. 600–900 CE)

Pre-Columbian Nariño Painted Pedestal Bowl (Lot 17)
A masterful example of resist-slip decoration, this pedestal bowl showcases the distinctive artistry of the Nariño Highlands. Its flared walls feature red and cream quadrants forming an “X” motif, filled with geometric and anthropomorphic designs, perhaps referencing celestial or mythological themes.
The precise layout and visual rhythm reflect the technical sophistication of Nariño potters, whose ceramics often embodied both ritual function and cosmological meaning. In remarkable condition, it remains a testament to the balance of structure and spirit in Pre-Columbian design.

Estimate: $300–$500
Culture: Nariño, Southern Colombia, ca. 800–1500 CE

Explore the Collection
Together, these works illustrate the diversity and depth of Pre-Columbian art, from the spiritual symbolism of the Andes to the refined visual language of the Maya lowlands. Whether an experienced collector or an admirer of ancient aesthetics, bidders will find pieces that speak to both the intellect and the imagination.

See the full catalog and register to bid on Bidsquare.com.