The natural world takes center stage at Auctionata this month, with sales of Meteorites and Fossils & Natural History to be held April 19. Bidders will have the chance to purchase unique pieces of natural history, not just from our planet, but from the wider Solar System.
“We’re excited to bring fossils and meteorites to clients around the world, giving clients a chance to participate in the adventure of exploring this unique category right out of their living room,” Auctionata COO Joe Stasko told artnet News in an e-mail. “In this sale we’ll offer meteorites from $10 to a baby Mosasaur skeleton for $80,000.”
Space-related photography and artworks have come to the auction block in recent months (see First Ever ‘Space Selfie’ by Buzz Aldrin Heads to Bloomsbury Auctions Carl Sagan’s Cosmos TV Show Archive Going on the Block at Heritage Auctions), but Auctionata’s offerings quite literally originated in the heavens, on the Moon, the planet Mars, and other far-flung extraterrestrial bodies, before crash-landing in such disparate parts of the globe as Morocco, Vietnam, Sweden, and Arizona.
Among the highlights is an usually large specimen from the largest meteor shower in known history, which took place in Siberia’s Sikhote Alin Mountains in 1947, and could sell for over $30,000. On the more affordable end of the spectrum, a slice of the Willamette Meteorite, discovered in Oregon in 1902 and the largest meteorite ever found on the continent, has an estimated value of only $2,000. (The rest of the meteorite belongs to the American Museum of Natural History in New York.)
Owning an authentic dinosaur bone is also a tempting proposition—even Thomas Jefferson wanted to get his hands on some (see Why Thomas Jefferson Called Dibs On Dinosaur Bones).
Among other geological and paleontological treasures, Auctionata is offering up a delicate fossil of sea lillies, a gem ammonite from the Cretaceous period, and the aforementioned complete Mosasaur skeleton, which is being billed at as a baby sea monster.
Gorgeous gemstones are also available, such as a luminous Contra Luz Opal from Ethiopia, which carries a pre-sale estimate of $45,000.
The auctions will be proceeded by a preview, with a book signing with Geoff Notkin, star of the Science Channel’s Meteorite Men, held April 18 at Auctionata’s East 37th St studios. The first 100 children to arrive will receive a free meteorite.
Check out a video about the baby Mosasaur skeleton:
