US DOLLAR
EURO
AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR
CANADIAN DOLLAR
POUND STERLING
Product Description
ITEM #
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F069
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ID
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Amiopsis lepidota
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FOUND
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Solnhofen Plattenkalk - Eichstatt, Germany
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AGE
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JURASSIC: 160 million years ago
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SIZE
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19.5" x 16.75" overall, fish 7.4" long
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CONDITION
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NO REPAIR OR RESTORATION. PLATE UNBROKEN
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NOTE
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EXTREMELY RARE FISH IN AN
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INCLUDES STAND - Actual Item - One Only
Comes with a certificate of authenticity / information sheet |
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We have handled a great deal of Solnhofen fossils over the years of our business but never have we seen such a one as this. First off, the fish fossil species itself, is very rare. This is an extinct species of bowfin that lived during the Jurassic period called Amiopsis lepidota. It is large and perfectly preserved, no finer an example you will find.
But, put that all aside for a moment and look at the symbiosis of all the other features in this highly unusual example. Every subtle and obvious inclusion and coloring in the stone IS NATURAL yet, gives the illusion of a "scene" - one of a fish swimming near the bottom of a lake, about to bite on a fisherman's line with a lure attached at the end of the line! Every color, shading, line and design you see that makes up this "scene" is absolutely 100% NATURAL - a pure oddity of nature where every aspect of the specimen falls into place to make a once-a-lifetime fossil that defies explanation in its occurrence. The "bottom of the lake" is a mineralized slightly wavy band of color in the stone just below the fish. The "fishing line" is a natural fissure in the stone that occurred millions of years ago and was subsequently darkened by dendrite mineralization. The "fishing lure" is a lighter and DIFFERENTLY COLORED dendrite radiating out from the end of the fissure giving the illusion of being a fly on the end of a fly fisherman's line. When you think about how all these unrelated features could have either not occurred to decorate the rock or have been formed in different areas which would then not create any illusion at all, it seems truly amazing how every feature formed in perfect unison to work together and make this masterpiece of natural history.
The more you look at this specimen and consider what they odds were of all these additional features forming in conjunction with the position of the fish fossil, it becomes more apparent what a gem this specimen is. Never, ever have we seen anything like it - in either a common or rare fossil. As a VERY RARE fossil fish, these natural features just put this one over the top in any collectors book. Specimens like this have tremendous investment value because fundamental fanciers of art, regardless of genre, will appreciate and desire such an unusual piece. Taking into consideration this is a natural product of prehistoric origin and a RARE FOSSIL in addition, the intrinsic value of such a piece becomes obvious. Pieces like this not only come under the demand of fossil collectors, but ALL collectors of rare items would find this a fascinating acquisition and one that can be enjoyed on display for its rare artistic assemblage as well as its rarity as a paleontological specimen. 100% NATURAL AND ORIGINAL WITH NO REPAIR OR RESTORATION. Matrix host rock plate is very large and UNBROKEN!
Famous for producing an astonishing diversity of rare and most intricately preserved fossils found anywhere in the world, the Jurassic lithographic limestone deposits of southern Germany are legendary. Quarries in the region are privately held and mostly worked by hand on a small scale. The finest grade fossils are few and far between and much rock must be split to locate them. The best fossils are most often kept by the quarry owners who themselves, are often collectors. Some quarries are operated on a large scale but these are now dug with machinery instead of manual labor. Because of this the rock is damaged and along with it, the rare fossils. What all this means today is that even fewer fine grade Solnhofen fossils are found and when they are, rarely do the best pieces make it to market. Occasionally, an old private collection surfaces and specimens are sold or traded. This is where the rare opportunity comes along to acquire a specimen on a level that truly is a prize find. Typically, the older material is often the best as it was collected when the deposits were first being worked and quality was in greater abundance.
SPECIAL NOTE: We have noticed an increasing occurrence of undisclosed work in heavily restored and modified examples in the marketplace and auctions of many Solnhofen fossils. It is becoming commonplace to take a smooth slab of Solnhofen quarry limestone and assemble, carve and/or paint parts or entire creatures where no fossil existed. Restoration is OK if it is disclosed but much of this work is not disclosed, either out of deception or ignorance of the dealer. When purchasing fossils, it is important to only deal with extremely knowledgeable sellers who have experience in fossil preparation as well as restoration and repair so they are capable of identifying what work has been performed to the fossils they offer and disclose this work to their customers. Sadly, a great deal of bad material is being sold as good to unsuspecting buyers. The staff at Paleo Direct operates several paleontological preparation labs and is experienced in the full realm of fossil preparation, repair and restoration.
