From the Eocene (circa 50 million years ago), a 6¹⁄₂-inch specimen, showing strong definition to the body and fins of two fish, preserved in the act of one consuming the other, a tail protruding several inches out of the larger fish's mouth, both specimens prepped in cut matrix.

specimen: 1¹⁄₈ x 6¹⁄₂in. (3 x 16.5cm.)
in matrix: 5¹⁄₈ x 10 x ¹⁄₂in. (13 x 25.5 x 1.4cm.)

This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage and our fees for storage are set out in the table below - these will apply whether the lot remains with Christie’s or is removed elsewhere. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Christie’s Park Royal. All collections from Christie’s Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.
Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.

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Lot Essay

In the present Lot, one larger fish has struggled to eat its meal whole and fallen to the sea floor where both have been preserved in this death pose - a rare and important example of ichthyological behaviour being preserved in the fossil record. While individual bones occasionally survive in the bellies of fossilized creatures, it is rarer still to see one fossil eating another. The present specimen captures this extraordinary natural event and conversely, this scene is a moment of Pyrrhic victory for the smaller specimen.