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Lot 49217 |
ELEPHANT BIRD EGG. ...
2012 May 20 Natural History & Fine Minerals Signature Auction- New York #6068
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Bid Information
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What's This?
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What's This?
The owner of this item has indicated that they would sell this item at the amount, although their acceptance of your offer is required before the item can be purchased.Our Auction Results Archives now allow our members to make anonymous offers on items that may not be auctioned again for some time. Please note that the winner of this Heritage auction lot may or may not still own this item and may or may not be willing to sell.
This Make Offer to Owner (MOTO) program is still in the Beta Test phase, and we would appreciate any suggestions to help us improve our system. Please email your suggestions to Webmaster@HA.com.
Heritage retains 10% (minimum $40 per lot) of the total price as its commission (compared with a 12%-25% Buyer's Premium charged on auction transactions), from which Heritage absorbs all credit card/PayPal costs. This service is free to the buyer (no Buyer's Premium), includes a 7 day return policy, and protects the identity of both parties. Because no Buyer's Premium is charged on Make Offer to Owner transactions, auction consignment discount coupons are invalid.
Our software allows offers and counter-offers, but we suggest making your best offer the first time as most owners will not respond to low offers at all. You will receive a response or no-response email from Heritage within 72 hours.
BP - Buyer's Premium
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Lots bearing estimates and without Consignor Reserve shall open at Auctioneer's discretion (usually 25% to 60% of the low estimate).Extended Payment Plan
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Extended Payment Plan for Heritage Owned Inventory Items
(excludes Virtual Bourse, Comic Market and Virtual Sports Show)[+] Extended Payment Plan Details for Heritage Owned Inventory Items
- Minimum invoice total is $2,000.
- You may take up to 6 months to pay the balance (monthly payments of at least 1/6th of invoice total).
- Interest is calculated at only 1% per month (12% annually) on the unpaid balance, and must be kept current.
- Minimum down payment is 20%.
- Payments (including the down payment) must be made on-time per your specific EPP schedule (there will be a brief grace period).
- Payments must be made using one or a combination of the following payment methods: cash, check, cashier's check, eCheck, money order, bank draft, bank wire or PayPal.
- There is no penalty for paying off early.
- Non-dealers only
All traditional sales policies still apply. Due to the nature of the business and market volatility, there is no return privilege once you have confirmed your sale, and penalties can be incurred on cancelled orders.
SMS Alerts
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Receive a text message approximately 35 lots ahead of your item being up for bidding at auction, with a link to bid in Heritage Live in the text message. Haven't registered? Visit MyProfile to sign-up for free by entering your mobile number. The green icon indicates Live Bidding Text Alerts are on for that lot. Live Bidding Text Alerts are only available for lots in live sessions.
| Sold for: | Sign-in or Join (free & quick) |
| Auction Ended On: | May 20, 2012 |
| Item Activity: |
3 Internet/mail/phone bidders
 1,619 page views |
| Location: |
Center 548 548 W. 22nd St. New York, NY 10011 |
Aepyornis maximus
Holocene
Madagascar
This incredible egg is from the largest bird ever to have lived, the 10-foot tall Aepyornis of Madagascar. Known as the Great Elephant Bird, it was perhaps unsurprisingly a ratite (flightless bird) like the Moa, the Rhea or the Ostrich, lacking the keel to its breastbone that would provide sufficient leverage to operate its wings in flight. Believed to have weighed almost 900 lb (400 kg), it was a native of Madagascar that survived at least until the late seventeenth century: the French governor of the island at that time wrote of a reclusive giant bird that laid its eggs in hidden places. Indeed, human desire for these eggs may have been the cause of its extinction, as shell fragments have been found amongst remains of human-made fires, suggesting that they were a substantial food source. The bird has also been popular in folk legend, supposedly inspiring the Roc, or Rukh, of Marco Polo's writings and of the Thousand and One Nights, and immortalized by H.G. Wells in his 1898 story "Aepyornis Island". Remarkably little is known about the creature, however, because no complete skeleton has ever been discovered, and very few associated ones are available for study; their least scarce remains are these incredible eggs. In fact, less than 40 complete, unbroken specimens are known to exist. Most usually the shells of other eggs are reconstructed from fragments, but once in a blue moon a complete specimen turns up, such as the present specimen. Aepyornis maximus produced the largest known bird egg, and maybe the largest egg ever produced by any animal with respect to volume. The volume of this egg roughly equals that of 170 chicken eggs.
This is a truly superb example, with no cracking and no repair, boasting a gorgeous, pitted texture throughout. Of a lovely uniform ivory color, it is one of the finest specimens one could hope to find of these highly desirable eggs, 12¼ inches long, 27½ inches in circumference, presented on a perspex ring stand.
Condition Report*:
Condition report available upon request.*Heritage Auctions strongly encourages in-person inspection of items by the bidder. Statements by Heritage regarding the condition of objects are for guidance only and should not be relied upon as statements of fact, and do not constitute a representation, warranty, or assumption of liability by Heritage. Framed lots estimated at $1000.00 or less shall not be unframed for inspection and may not be returned based on condition. All lots offered are sold "AS IS".
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