Ancient Seas, North America, Florida, Pliocene, ca. 3.7 million years ago. This is a fine collection of fossils: 2 large halves of prehistoric bivalve mollusks, and a pair of bivalve shells that are slightly open with additional fossilized barnacle and worm formations. Bivalves are aquatic mollusks with soft bodies protected by a pair of hinged shells - here we have 2 nearly complete shells that have been fossilized and fully excavated from the surrounding sediment. The largest white shell has the remnants of other fossilized shells and fragments within the concave underside, and the upper surface of both are highly polished and pleasantly smooth. The other two bivalves have both shells present, and they are slightly open - one is partially hollow, and the other has stone and mineral deposits on the interior. The exteriors are covered with addition prehistoric lifeforms - including calcareous tubes from marine worms, and barnacles. Size (largest white shell): 5" L x 5.25" W (12.7 cm x 13.3 cm)
Provenance: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired prior to 2010
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#168960
Condition
Gray shell is repaired from two large pieces with a stable break line visible on the interior. Bore holes from worms and other marine life activity on the shells and fragments of other shell fossils and mineral deposits. Surface of largest two shells are polished.