Rare Fossilized Megantereon Sabertooth Cat Skull

Lot 160

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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$100,000	$10,000
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About Auction

Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art by Artemis Gallery

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Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Mar 9, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-03-09 10:00:00 2023-03-09 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-ancient-ethnographic-fine-art-12354 Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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Lot Description

**Originally Listed At $35000**

*This item may be oversized. Please inquire about shipping prior to bidding.

Western Europe or Eurasia, France or China, Miocene, ca. 2.5 to 2 million years ago. This is an amazing skull from a fossilized prehistoric predatory feline, Megantereon cultridens, with massive saber tooth canines- iconic of these ancient cats! The coloration of the bone and teeth is excellent- creamy white and beige, with top quality professional preparation that beautifully displays this awe inspiring and rare creature! The blade like teeth create such a striking and distinctive look to these cats, and here this specimen has been displayed with the jaw hanging open, either a snarl or about to bite. The saber tooth to skull ratio of Megantereon is the largest of any of the saber-toothed cats, and this appears to be an adult female. Size: 9.75" L x 5.25" W (24.8 cm x 13.3 cm); 9" H (22.9 cm) on included custom stand; saberteeth: 3.625" L (9.2 cm) and 3.7" L (9.4 cm)

Megantereon was ancestor to Smilodon, aka, the Sabretooth tiger. Built like a modern-day jaguar, these cats preferred open scrubland rather than forests, using strength and speed to ambush prey and sever their neck arteries with their saber canines. The quality and rarity cannot be stressed enough- the value of these specimens is astronomical from a collector and scientific standpoint!

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Provenance: private Rome, Georgia, USA 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.

#170220

Condition

As with almost all fossils of its type, this example has areas of repair with minor restoration at the breaks. Less than 5% of this fossil is new material. Repairs include several teeth, as shown, mostly affecting lower rear teeth. All teeth are original to the animal. Metal bar added to lower jaw for display stand.
Shipping Info
- All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
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