BINOCHE ET GIQUELLO - Invitation to a trip through Time and Space
On the upcoming 18 March, after the success of its last natural history auction where two dinosaurs were acquired €2,8M; Binoche et Giquello auction house will offer a sale titled Naturalia. 21th century’s Homo Sapiens are invited to a trip through Time and Space.
Impressive dinosaurs, meteorites from the Moon and Mars, sculptural “gogottes”, minerals and fossils are all witnesses of the oldest traces of Life… The journey will feature wonders of Nature from the Ice Age to nowadays and from Earth’s depths to Space’s infinity.
FIRST STOP: THE DINOSAUR AGE
With sharp tooth and claws, one of the most ferocious carnivores of the Jurassic is about to attack an herbivore, even if it’s twice its size.
No doubt this fight between the Ornitholestes and the Othniela will end up after a fierce bidding battle.
The fossilised skeletons of these two iconic dinosaur species from the Upper Jurassic (161-145 million years) were discovered in the Johnson County, Wyoming, U.S. They are respectively 65% and 75% complete and are assembled on a metal structure in a narrative posture. (Estimate: €600,000 – 700,000)
Another highlight of the sale includes a 35m2 scene of 2 massive skeletons of Hypocratausorus. Staged in a family scene, the adult and the child lived during the Upper Cretaceous (72-70 million years) in Montana, U.S. The skeletons are 70% complete. (Estimate: €750 000 – 900 000).
Then comes the skull of a giant Allosaurus. This specimen probably measured nearly 10m long (adult Allosaurus usually measured 8,5m in average). The 94 x 53 cm (37 x 21 in.) head was found in 2016 in a private ranch in Wyoming, U.S. (Estimate: €200,000-220,000)
DETOUR IN SPACE
A meteorite shower will rain over Drouot. 11 extra-terrestrial, Lunar and Martian stones will be offered at auction. Among them, is a 371g piece of the Moon, named NWA 11472, that fell on Earth several centuries ago (estimate: €50,000 – 60,000).
Smaller but much more precious is a bit of the oldest Martian meteorite, the
Black Beauty, matricule NWA 7533. This thin slice (2,96g) is from the sample of the Red Planet ever studies. The sample revealed crystals – the zircons – that formed 4,4 billion years ago. No crystal on Earth has been dated that old! (Estimate: €18,000-20,000)
A slice of the famous meteorite of Cap York will be also offered. Its huge size – w. 10kg ; h. 80cm ; l. 45cm – easily makes us imagine how tall was the original meteorite. (Estimate: €4,000- 50,000)
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Cap York meteorite cross section, Agpalilik
Weight: 10 kg
h. 80 cm – l. 45 cm
Estimate: €45,000 - 50,000 | |
Lunar meteorite NWA 11472
Weight: 371 g
h. 15,5 cm – l. 3.8 cm – d. 7 cm
Estimate: €50,000 - 60,000 | |
Martian meteorite cross section
NWA 7533, Black Beauty
Weight: 2,96 g
h. 40 mm – l. 35 mm – d. 1,5 mm
Estimate: €18,000 - 20,000 |
BACK TO EARTHSkull, mammoth’s bones and tooth, bison’s horn and skull, ammonite, malachite, coral, crinoid, agate, jasper… Minerals or fossilised organic elements will take a large part of the sale.
No one will miss the 13 meters long fossil that shows how an ammonite travelled 150 million years ago. It is the most important fossilised mark of an organic Life remaining in private hands. (Estimate: €40,000-45,000)
Finally, several “gogottes” will spread a modern touch to the sale. Looking like natural sculptures, these concretions are from Fontainebleau (French forest) 30 million years ago. Estimates range from €300 to €8,000.
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Subplanites rueppellianus
Solnhofen limestone
Upper Jurassic Tithonian (152-145 mya)
Estimate: €40,000 - 45,000 | |
Gogotte
Fontainebleau, France
h. 79 cm - l. 70 cm – d. 26 cm
Estimate: €6,000 - 8,000 | |
Fossil palm frond
Green River Formation
Paleogene, Eocene (53,5–48,5 mya)
h. 1,10 m – l. 1,10 m
Estimate: €55,000 - 65,000 |
Auction - Drouot - Room 5-6Tuesday 16 april - 2pm
Public exhibition - Drouot - Room 5-6Saturday 13 april - 11am / 6pm
Monday 15 april - 11am / 6pm
Tuesday 16 april - 11am / 12pm
