Lot 801* - A207 Out of This World - Monday, 04. December 2023, 04.00 PM
SUBFOSSIL OSTRICH EGG
Struthio camelus syriacus
Jordan Valley region
8000–6000 BCE
13 × 10.5 cm
Jordan Valley region
8000–6000 BCE
13 × 10.5 cm
The Arabian ostrich (Struthio camelus syriacus), also known as the Syrian ostrich or Middle Eastern ostrich, is an extinct subspecies of the ostrich that lived on the Arabian Peninsula and in the Near East until the mid-20th century.
The Arabian ostrich had a significant place in many ancient cultures. After the rise of Islam, the Arabian ostrich came to represent wealth and elegance. Its eggs, feathers and leather were extensively used in handicraft. Arabian ostrich products, as well as live birds, were exported as far as China, where an ostrich was a welcome exotic gift, fit for an emperor. If we go even further back in history, in ancient Mesopotamia, the first advanced culture of humanity, the Arabian Ostrich was used as a sacrificial animal and featured in artwork, painted on cups and other objects made from ostrich eggs like this one.
The specimen presented here is in exceptional condition. The smooth shell has a beautiful patina and shows no cracks or impurities – a rare remnant of a truly majestic creature of the past.
The Arabian ostrich had a significant place in many ancient cultures. After the rise of Islam, the Arabian ostrich came to represent wealth and elegance. Its eggs, feathers and leather were extensively used in handicraft. Arabian ostrich products, as well as live birds, were exported as far as China, where an ostrich was a welcome exotic gift, fit for an emperor. If we go even further back in history, in ancient Mesopotamia, the first advanced culture of humanity, the Arabian Ostrich was used as a sacrificial animal and featured in artwork, painted on cups and other objects made from ostrich eggs like this one.
The specimen presented here is in exceptional condition. The smooth shell has a beautiful patina and shows no cracks or impurities – a rare remnant of a truly majestic creature of the past.
CHF 1 800 / 2 500 | (€ 1 860 / 2 580)
Sold for CHF 2 250 (including buyer’s premium)
All information is subject to change.