Rare Enormous Museum-Class Prehistoric Tree Fern Branch

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Exceptional Antiquities | Ethnographic Art

By Artemis Gallery

Oct 11, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-10-11 10:00:00 2018-10-11 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities | Ethnographic Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-ethnographic-art-3500
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Pecopteris sp. Fern; found in Rheinland Pfalz, Germany; Permian period, 290 million years ago. An enormous, museum-class, rare and complete prehistoric giant tree fern branch with all fronds intact from the Permian period. Most plant fossils are small so a remarkable piece of this magnitude is truly in a class all its own. A specimen like this is not only priceless in its scarcity, but the beauty and aesthetic it possesses can turn any interior into an instant shrine to natural history when displayed. The pleasing warm cream, light brown and gray shale showcases a stunning complete branch of a Pecopteris sp. fossil tree fern, with all its fronds. Very few fossils like this are found on our planet and one that is as attractive as it is rare is nothing short of a masterpiece of our planet's natural history. Immeasurably more rare than the fossil palm fronds from the much later Eocene Period, you see offered on a regular basis from the Wyoming, USA, Green River Formation! Size: 64" L x 44" W (162.6 cm x 111.8 cm); main frond is 55" long and straight.
  
  Pecopteris was a prehistoric giant tree fern that on average, grew to a height of around 13 feet. A photograph at the bottom of this page demonstrates what this tree fern might have looked like nearly 300 million years ago, before the first dinosaurs. Fragments of fossil tree fern branches are common but a complete giant tree fern branch with the main stem and radiating fronds, is scientifically an incredibly rare occurrence. The fossil is on a rock that was rather frangible and necessitated having the fern removed in numerous pieces and the pieces reconstructed. Damage due to extraction and repair required about 15% - 20% restoration of destroyed leaves and fronds. The entire fossil has also been sealed to stabilize the fragile layers in many areas to protect the fossil from fracturing and to increase contrast to show off the detail. The overall thickness of this slab is approximately 1 inch and has been reinforced with steel and epoxy.
  
  With the majority of large plant fossils coming from the Eocene deposits of the Green River Formation in North America, a plant fossil of this magnitude and completeness, coming from the Permian Period, puts in in a class all its own. The fern fossil comes from a time before the first dinosaurs and the geological era it dates to, marks the most dramatic planetary extinction event in history.
  
  Special Note: The current laws in this state of Germany have forbid the collection of these remarkable fossils since 1986. This legislation has permanently ended the supply of such magnificent specimens such as this one being offered here. This rare example was originally collected years prior to the ban.
  
  Provenance: private Florida, USA collection, acquired in 2007 from a private German collection
  
  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.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #139955

  Condition

  Typical repair with approximately 15% to 20% restoration to missing parts damaged during extraction.
• Shipping Info

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