LARGE IRRIDESCENT AMMONITE WALL PLATE
MADAGASCAR, JURASSIC PERIOD, 180 MILLION YEARS B.P.
Estimate: £3,000 - £5,000
Auction: 13 March 2025 from 13:00 GMT
Description
featuring three large ammonites, the specimens all displaying natural iridescence, a result of the fossilisation of the mother-of-pearl in the shell, with clear detail visible in the spiral structure and surface features, the plate has been prepared to reveal the ammonites in situ, set against a backdrop of the surrounding rock matrix
Dimensions
100 x 62.5cm
Footnote
Ammonites first appeared on earth over 400 million years ago. They were extraordinarily abundant, with over 30,000 different species, and existed for twice the length of the dinosaurs. As such, millions of fossilised ammonite shells have been found all over the world. The animal itself would have lived within the end chamber of the shell, with the remainder used to control buoyancy in much the same way as the modern nautilus. They became extinct during the same asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs, an event that reshaped Earth's life and geology, paving the way for new evolutionary developments.
The perfect geometry of ammonite shells has long been appreciated for the clarity and beauty of their natural structure. The present specimens are particularly notable for both their large size and the fact that two are preserved in close proximity within the same matrix.