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249 - A FINE AND LARGE ANTARCTIC 'VENTIFACT'
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Estimation
£2,000 - 3,000 (€2,300 - 3,600)Sale fees
A FINE AND LARGE ANTARCTIC 'VENTIFACT' bronze coloured stone with myriad pitting, wear, and natural polishing; flat base with pad rests -- 5 x 6 x 5½in. (12.5 x 15 x 14cm.); 2618g. Provenance: Dr. John Hainsworth Mercer, an Antarctic scientist who recovered this souvenir in the late 1950's, and thence by descent. A 'ventifact' is a stone that has been worn by ice and wind over about two million years and has created a unique sculptural form. These are rare as Antarctica is now protected and the removal of such souvenirs is illegal, and this is a particularly large and fine example. Dr John Hainsworth Mercer (1922-1987) graduated with a B.A. in geography at Cambridge University in 1949 and Ph.D. at McGill University (Canada) in 1954. He spent his entire career in glaciology and theorised that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may have broken down during the last interglacial era (130,000-115,000 years ago), and later warned that the Ice Sheet may be affected again due to the greenhouse effect.
Auction details
Maritime and Scientific Models, Instruments & ArtAuction house
Charles Miller Ltd +44 2 07 80 65 530 enquiries@charlesmillerltd.comDelivery is optional. You can use the carrier of your choice. The stated price does not include the lot price or the auction house fees.