Rare & Large Mastodon Rib Bone Fossil

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VARIETY SALE | Ancient, Asian, Ethnographic

By Artemis Gallery

Feb 3, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-02-03 10:00:00 2022-02-03 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : VARIETY SALE | Ancient, Asian, Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/variety-sale-ancient-asian-ethnographic-8833
Join us for our first sale of February with a spotlight on two fabulous collections, one from Lumberton, Texas, and the other from Whisnant Gallery in New Orleans. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  North America, found in New Jersey, early Pliocene to end of the Pleistocene, Ice Age, ca. 5 million to 11,000 years old. A magnificent relic of the prehistoric world: a massive, fossilized rib bone from the extinct mastodon - Mammut americanum. Boasting a rich patina in hues of brown that range from caramel to espresso, this remarkable bone presents a slender, lengthy body and a gracefully arched form. The ancient artifact displays 1 bulbous end with a nub-like protrusion, where it would attach to the backbone, while the flat end would lie on the underside of the beast. Mastodons had a similar appearance to modern-day elephants, with a more muscular build that made them more comparable to Asian elephants. The largest land animals of the Ice Age, some of the largest mastodons grew up to 10.7 feet tall at the shoulders and weighed about 8.6 US tons. Size: 39.8" L x 2.4" W (101.1 cm x 6.1 cm)
  
  When initially discovered, Mastodons were especially regarded for their teeth, which actually gave the animal its name. French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1817 dubbed these fossilized remains as mastodons meaning "nipple teeth" because of their shape. These nipple shaped teeth were suited for mashing leaves and twigs rather than grasses; mastodons lived in forested environments, unlike mammoths, who lived in open grasslands. This is an impressive piece, from an animal whose fossilized remains are so awe-inspiring that Thomas Jefferson kept some of them in the White House - mistakenly believing that they belonged to a long-dead carnivore!
  
  Provenance: private Berthoud, Colorado, 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.
  
  b>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 b>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 firm.
  
  Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
  
  #169481

  Condition

  Some minor areas of in-fill near bulbous end and nub-like protrusion. A few stable hairline surface fissures to body. Otherwise, intact and excellent with great patina.
• Shipping Info

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