Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett stands to make a small fortune at an auction next month when a piece of his prized art collection hits the auction block.
The legendary guitarist is an avid collector of classic horror and sci-fi art, having amassed a substantial collection of paintings, movie posters, masks, and other memorabilia. Some of Hammett’s collection has even been borrowed for display in museums over the years.
Hammett purchased Frank Frazetta‘s “Conan the Berzerker” painting in 2009. Now, he’s listed the iconic piece of fantasy art with Heritage Auctions, with a starting bid of $10 million, and it will be auctioned on December 9-10, 2025.
The painting, often regarded as one of the most recognizable fantasy images, was created in 1966 for the Lancer Books paperback series. The following year, the image was published on the cover of Conan the Conqueror by Robert E. Howard.
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Ahead of the listing, Hammett took to Instagram to share an up-close look at the painting and shared a message with fans.
After a camera pans the painting, showing the intricate design and colors that make this a fantasy art masterpiece, Hammett said, “Hey everyone! Kirk Hammett from Metallica here. I just wanted to take a quick moment to talk a little bit about the artist, Frank Frazetta.”
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Then, the legendary guitarist went on to explain who Frazetta was, sharing some history of his art career along with images of Frazetta as he worked on his craft. Hammett continued, “Back in 2009, I was lucky enough to acquire this incredible painting by Frank Frazetta called ‘Conan the Barbarian.’ At the time, Frank gave me the pick of the collection.”
Hammett went on to explain that he “enjoyed his time with” the iconic painting, but it was time to move on from it, making it available to another lucky collector.
Over the course of his career, Frank Frazetta painted hundreds of pieces, but it was his Conan series and another piece called “The Death Dealer” that were his most famous.
Franzetta has been referred to as the Godfather of Fantasy Art, with his “Man Ape”painting setting a record after it sold in September 2025 for $13.5 million. That record could soon be broken after the auction for Hammett’s piece closes next month.
