discoveries of the lost world at christie’s south kensington
TRANSCRIPT
7/31/2019 Discoveries Of The Lost World At Christie’S South Kensington
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/discoveries-of-the-lost-world-at-christies-south-kensington 1/3
For Immediate Release11 May 2012
Contact: Leonie Pitts +44 (0)20 7752 3121 [email protected]
DISCOVERIES OF THE LOST WORLD
AT CHRISTIE’S SOUTH K ENSINGTON
Highlights include:
The left leg of a Tyrannosaurid A pair of Mammoth tusks
One of the largest eggs ever to have existed, an Elephant Bird egg
A fish fossil recently discovered in the Wyoming desert, USA
Lot 143
An Elephant Bird egg
Estimate: £10,000-15,000
Lot 144
A Tarbosaurus leg
Estimate: £30,000-50,000
Lot 142
A pair of double curved Mammoth tusks
Estimate: £15,000-25,000
South Kensington - Christie’s is pleased to announce a number of rare, important and fascinating pre-historic
items to be offered within the Interiors: Style and Spirit Sale on 22nd May 2012 in South Kensington. Offering a broad
range of interior furnishings and decorative collectables the auction will comprise over 300 lots. Presenting
connoisseurs, interiors designers, and private collectors with the chance to buy wonderfully quirky and interesting
historic objects of natural history, the sale will also include items for decorating the home – from carpets, to
lighting, furniture and decorative objects.
7/31/2019 Discoveries Of The Lost World At Christie’S South Kensington
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/discoveries-of-the-lost-world-at-christies-south-kensington 2/3
Standing at over four and a half feet high, the enormous Tarbosaurus leg illustrated above centre comprises three main
bones, stretching from the three toes, up to the pelvis of the dinosaur. Pre-dating its famous North American
relative the Tyrannosaurus rex the two bear many similarities, despite roaming the earth around two to five million
years apart.
The sale also includes one of the world’s largest ever eggs illustrated above left that of the giant elephant bird
Measuring 27.5 inches in circumference and standing 12.5 inches tall the egg is over 160 times the volume of the
standard chicken egg. The elephant bird or Aepyornis maximus , is known to have become extinct during or prior to
the 17th century. Similar in appearance to the ostrich, yet with a height of up to three metres it remains the largest
species of bird to have ever existed.
A pair of double curved Mammoth tusks once belonging to a sub-adult Mammuthus primigenius measure 55 inches
from root to tip illustrated above right . Dark in colour, apparently due to the diet of this particular mammoth, a
complete pair has not been offered at Christie’s in recent memory. A single tusk sold at Christie’s South Kensington
in September 2011 for £7,500.
A large fish fossil, or Diplomystus dentatus, discovered in the Wyoming desert by a ‘fossil hunter’ is also on offer
(estimate: £3,000-5,000) illustrated above , alongside a selection of colourful ammonites illustrated below . Excavated by
the present owner the fossil is approximately 50 million years old and has never been sold before. It is offered with
full location information.# # #
High resolution images available upon request
Notes to Editors:
ON EXHIBITIONSaturday, 19 May: 11.00am – 5.00pmSunday, 20 May: 11.00am – 5.00pmMonday, 21 May: 9.00am – 7.30pm
AUCTION: Interiors: Style & Spirit - Tuesday, 22 May 2012 at 10am
ECATALOGUE: Please click HERE to view the full ecatalogue online
7/31/2019 Discoveries Of The Lost World At Christie’S South Kensington
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/discoveries-of-the-lost-world-at-christies-south-kensington 3/3
Christie’s South KensingtonOpen seven days a week, Christie’s South Kensington is one of the busiest salerooms in the UK attracting over 200,000
visitors each year. With over 100 sales and offering more than 20,000 lots annually, estimates start from £300. Interiors salesdedicated to home furnishings are held three times a month alongside regular Sunday sales of single-owner collectionsSpecialised sales for the avid collector are scheduled throughout the year according to category, and include Film Posters, PopMemorabilia, Antiquities, Jewellery, 20th Century British Art and Chinese Works of Art, among others. In 2011 Christie’sSouth Kensington realised the highest ever total for the second successive year with sales of £115.9 million / $186.6 million.
About Christie’s
Christie’s, the world's leading art business, had global auction and private sales in 2011 tha t totaled £3.6 billion/$5.7 billionChristie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as internationaglamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's has since conducted the greatest and most celebrated auctions throughthe centuries providing a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 450 auctions annually inover 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Pricesrange from $200 to over $100 million. Christie's also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients inall categories, with emphasis on Post-War and Contemporary, Impressionist and Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery. Privatesales totaled £502 million / $808.6m in 2011, an increase of 44% on the previous year.
Christie’s has a global presence with 53 offices in 32 countries and 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich, and Hong Kong. More recently, Christie’s has led the market withexpanded initiatives in growth markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and
exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do n ot reflect costs, financing fees or applicationof buyer’s or seller’s credits.
CHRISTIE’S SOUTH KENSINGTON 85 Old Brompton Road, London, SW7 3LD
OPENING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Monday: 9.00am – 7.30pm
Tuesday – Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pmSaturday & Sunday: 11.00am - 5.00pm
WWW.CHRISTIES.COMPrices do not include buyers’ premium