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THBFully-Articulated Pleistocene Cave Bear Skeleton (Male)
About Seller
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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About Auction
LiveNov 15, 2024
Classical antiquities and ethnographic masterpieces, with treasures from every corner of the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (221)
- Lot Description
Eastern Europe, Russia, Ural Mountains, Pleistocene, ca. 40,000 to 24,000 years ago. A spectacular and huge articulated cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) that lived during the Ice Age / Pleistocene, upright with forelimbs extended ready for a "bear hug." This is a male, as indicated by the intact baculum bone, with a robust skull featuring pronounced canines and molars, a flexible spine, and a barrel-shaped rib cage. These bears only inhabited caves during hibernation through the harsh Ice Age winters, and the most vulnerable of the population - the weak and the old, were more susceptible to dying during this period. The cave acted like a natural tomb, providing a dry place that was ideal for fossilization and preservation of the remains. Examined by an expert, this bear likely suffered from osteomyelitis, with pathology in its left femur indicating possible death from sepsis. Large tooth holes suggest predation by cave hyenas. Size: 30" L x 38" W x 86.5" H (76.2 cm x 96.5 cm x 219.7 cm); 87" H (221 cm) on included custom stand.
Cave bears were purportedly more than ten feet (three meters) tall when they stood on their hind legs. The closest relative to Ursus spelaeus is our modern-day brown bear; however, average cave bears were approximately 30 percent larger! Beyond this sheer size differential, another way to differentiate a cave bear skull from a brown bear (and all other bears) is the prominence of the brow and forehead, unique to the cave bear, as modern bear skulls have a more gradual sloping forehead. Cave bears were once part of the group of megafaunas that roamed Ice Age Europe, alongside mammoths, woolly rhinos, giant deer, and lions. Ancient humans lived alongside these bears, as evidenced by cave paintings and butchered bear remains. Despite their fierce-looking teeth and size, cave bears had a mostly vegetarian diet and ultimately went extinct during the Last Glacial Maximum around 27,000 to 24,000 years ago when the vegetation they relied upon disappeared, possibly due to human hunting as well.
Please note that this item is heavy/oversized. Please inquire about shipping prior to bidding.
Provenance: private Redwood City, California, USA collection, before 2000
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#188070Professionally prepared and restored. Restoration throughout, with new material and overpainting. Approximately 80% or more original material. Metal wires and bolts added to bones, and displayed on a metal stand as shown.Condition
- Shipping Info
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**Please note, we are currently unable to ship to Germany, Switzerland and Australia due to customs clearance issues. We are working to resolve this issue. If you are in Germany, Switzerland or Australia, you will need to provide an alternate shipping destination, arrange your own shipping, or we will not be able to complete your purchase.* **For shipments outside of the USA, custom / duties may apply upon entry into said country; this fee, if any, is the buyer's responsibility. Also, please be aware that Artemis Gallery will NOT falsify customs value on any international shipments - what you pay is what we declare, no exceptions. If you have questions about this, please inquire BEFORE bidding**
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