Lot 75
North Africa, Morocco, Devonian Period, ca. 419.2 to 358.9 million years ago. An interesting and utilitarian fossil slab that has been crafted into a lovely vanity or hallway mirror. Nice examples of orthoceras shell and ammonoid fossils in circular and elongated forms. The maker carved a curvilinear silhouette with a rounded crest and shouldered sides, contrasting rough‑tooled panels with glossy, honed surfaces to spotlight the natural black‑and‑ivory cross‑sections of the marine fossils, often marketed as "Orthoceras marble." Quarried in the Sahara and worked in Moroccan ateliers, such pieces bridge natural history and décor, functioning as practical mirrors while serving as geologic tableaux that evoke the teeming Devonian sea
Size: 35" W x 31.75" H x 1.5" D (88.9 cm W x 80.6 cm H x 3.8 cm D)
Prehistoric 'straight' cephalopods include straight ammonoids called orthoceras. Cephalopod evolution began during the Late Cambrian Period. Some of these creatures evolved into semi-coiled forms, eventually giving rise to coiled cephalopods like ammonites and nautili. Straight cephalopods were among the most advanced invertebrates of their time, with eyes, jaws, and a sophisticated nervous system. These creatures were predators that swam freely using a jet propulsion system by squirting water from their bodies. They had tentacles and ink sacs, much like present-day squid. Except for belemnites, cephalopods had external shells with hollow internal chambers separated by walls called septa. A tube called the siphuncle connected the body with the chambers allowing the animal to fill them with water or air, changing its buoyancy in order to rise or drop in the ocean. Only the last and largest chamber was occupied by the living animal!
Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection
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Item #
196871
- Condition: Pristine
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |