7th Aug, 2024 10:30 GMT/BST
Natural History & Taxidermy
202
Natural History: A Complete Elephant Bird Egg (†Aepyornis maximus), a complete reconstructed egg, previously fragmented and reassembled, circumference 71½ cm, height 31cm. The Elephant Bird, Aepyornis maximus, produced the largest egg of any animal that has ever lived, including the dinosaurs. Standing around ten feet tall and weighing half a tonne, the volume of an average Elephant Bird egg is equivalent to 160 modern chicken eggs. Native to Madagascar, the animal lived to well within human memory, only becoming extinct around 1200 AD. Indeed, during his travels to the east Marco Polo wrote of hearing tales from sailors about huge birds, these accounts are likely to describe the Elephant Bird.
Sold for £2,000
Estimated at £2,000 - £3,000
Auction: Natural History & Taxidermy, 7th Aug, 2024
To include an array of period and fine modern taxidermy featuring three good private collections. Highlights include a large Late Victorian Diorama of Sea and Estuary Birds, circa 1880-1900 and a cased Late Victorian King Charles’ Spaniel “Charlie”, circa 1860-1880 from the Harold Soar Collection, a cased Mandarin Duck, late 20th century from a private collection of cases mounted by David Keningale, and a Diorama of Red-Legged Partridge, 1997 from a private collection of cases by Colin Dunton.
Viewing
Tuesday 6th August 10am-5pm and the morning of the sale from 8am
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