News-Antique.com - Mar 17,2011 - On March 24, 2011 bidders around the globe will have a chance to bid live online at Artfact.com on nearly 200 important natural artifacts when I.M. Chait presents it’s "Natural History Auction". The diverse selection of items features precious metals, carved gemstones and a superlative collection of rare dinosaur bones, including the largest Tyrannosaurus skull ever offered at auction. For additional information, or to bid live online through Artfact Live! please visit www.Artfact.com.
Highlighting the sale is a giant Tyrannosaurus bataar skull (Est. $250,000-$300,000). Tyrannosaurus bataar is the closest relative to the most famed and feared of all the dinosaurs, the North American T-Rex, although it thrived on the Eurasian continent approximately 2 million years earlier. This enormous skull, bristling with large curved teeth, is a world-class specimen and the largest ever to be offered at auction. It measures approximately 45 x 24.5 x 31 inches and is accompanied by a custom metal platform.
An important Triceratops skull (Est. $125,000-$175,000) is also featured in the auction’s selection of prehistoric artifacts. The Triceratops is one of the most instantly recognizable and best loved of all dinosaurs. This large and incredibly dramatic specimen is almost complete in the main part of the skull and horns, with only minor restoration in certain areas. Triceratops is notable for having the largest skull of any land animal, and this is a prodigious example, raised on a metal stand and approximately 64 x 56 x 76 inches overall.
Also featured is an exceptional gemstone ammonite ($40,000-$50,000). Gemstone ammonite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world, formed from the shell linings of Cretaceous ammonites in only one small area of North America. It is prized for its fantastic display of shimmering colors, created by impurities in the incredibly thin layers of aragonite. This specimen has a full covering of multi-colored iridescence on both sides, and also displays large areas of the much rarer purple and electric blue colors. The quantity and quality of these rare colors makes this gemstone ammonite one of the rarest on the world. A superb specimen, it measures 20.25 inches wide.
Astronomy buffs will jump at the chance to bid on a massive meteor slice ($60,000-$80,000). This heavy slice represents a complete section of the Russian Seymchan Pallasite, leveled off at its base for upright display. One side has been highly polished to a mirror finish, while the other side has been etched with nitric acid to reveal a striking and unique natural canvas. The exterior rind also retains its original red-orange and gun metal-colored crust. This impressive display piece measures 25 x 30.5 x 1 inches and weighs just over 130 pounds.
In addition to this important historical auction, Artfact Live! also offers live online bidding at premier auctions around the world. Artfact Live! bidders benefit from an enhanced, easy-to-use bidding console; a comprehensive auction database; and a powerful search engine that allows bidders to search consignments by keyword, auction house, artist name and more. To browse a full-color catalog
