Pyrite Crystal Chunk Group [100]

Two irregular matrices containing dawn redwood fossils, showing twig and needle leaves. 82 grams total, 56-59 mm



From the Muddy Creek Formation, Beaverhead County, Montana, USA. From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

A large Charonosaurus sp. hadrosaur egg partially attached to matrix. 4.7 kg, 17.5 cm



Acquired 1983-1990. Private collection, Hove, UK.

Hadrosaurs were large dinosaurs, growing up to 10 metres in length, belonging to the ‘Duck-Billed’ group of dinosaurs. They are considered the ‘herd animal’ of the Cretaceous, having been found buried together in their thousands. Dinosaur egg fossils are known from approximately two-hundred sites around the word, particularly in Asia. This nest comes from the Xixia Formation, Henan region of China, which produces some of the best preserved eggs in the world. These eggs can yield entire embryos within them, making them an essential tool for understanding the biology of these creatures.

A greyish sandstone slab with cascading layers of softly folded concretions. 8.85 kg, 40 cm



Ex private collection, 1970s. Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman.

Gogottes were displayed at the chateau of Fontainebleau, France, collected by King Louis XIV (1638 -1715). They were used to decorate the formal gardens of the royal residence at Versailles, especially l’Encelade, Les Trois Fontaines and La Salle de Bal. Elsewhere, they were treasured in Song Dynasty China (960-1127 AD). In the 20th century, natural forms inspired the sculptor Henry Moore and others.