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Sale 76
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Lot 767
Largest Egg Known. The extinct flightless bird Aepyornis maximus produced the largest egg of any animal that ever lived including dinosaurs. The egg in this lot is 13.5 inches high and 29 inches in circumference. This was the equivalent volume of 10-12 Osterich eggs or 160 chicken eggs. Aepyornis is commonly known as the elephant bird, a name that originated from Marco Polo's account of the giant bird in 1298. He described the ten foot tall Aepyornis that weighed over half a ton as having talons large enough to seize an elephant. Aepyornis was the largerst bird that ever lived and only became extinct in the middle of the 17th century. Aepyornis only lived on the island of Madagascar and the shell from this bird that has been reconstructed to form this huge impressive egg is 10,000-20,000 years old and was found in the southern sands of Madagascar. Great care and time was spent in matching the sizes and curvature of the egg fragments to put the egg back to its normal shape and size. The egg is quite solid and stable. There are only about a dozen unbroken Aepyornis eggs known most in museums with one selling at auction for over $25,000. This huge egg comes perched on a hand carved wooden stand for a very dramatic display.
Add $50 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,800 - 2,200
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| Realized $1,440 |
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