Estimates do not reflect the final hammer price and do not include buyer's premium, any applicable taxes or artist's resale right. Please see the Conditions of Sale for full details.
The most famous of all fossil fish, the Coelacanth was long thought to have been extinct for over 66 million years. It was known only from the fossil record until 1938, when a live specimen was discovered, found by a museum curator amongst a fisherman's catch on the Chalumna river in South Africa.
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Sculpted by Nature: Fossils, Minerals and Meteorites
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Condition report
A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.
The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.
Overall in very good condition, noting the presence of some small stable hairline cracks to the matrix rock, which also bears a small shiny area, possibly adhesive, to the upper reverse side.