ERNEST BOUBÉE (active 1860-1915) - Lot 306

Lot 306
Go to lot
Estimation :
300 - 500 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 910EUR
ERNEST BOUBÉE (active 1860-1915) - Lot 306
ERNEST BOUBÉE (active 1860-1915) Plaster model of the egg of AEPYORNIS MAXIMUS (called elephant bird) Rare plaster model of the world's largest egg With the conquest of Madagascar, Europeans discovered the eggs of this giant bird and were impressed by the size of the egg. Subsequently, plaster models were created for educational purposes. Today, there are few educational models like the one shown here, due to the fragility of the object. Carries a pewter plaque "COMPTOIR CENTRAL D'HISTOIRE NATURELLE E.BOUBÉE NATURALISTE...PARIS". With rope base Circa 1880-1900 H. 32 cm - Diam. 23 cm Note 1 : Ernest Boubée was the son of Nérée Boubée, who made numerous natural science preparations. Note 2 : The AEPYORNIS MAXIMUS, or elephant bird, is a huge bird of the ostrich, emu and rhea family, found in Madagascar. At 350 cm in height and 400 kg on average, it was the heaviest bird in history. Unfortunately, little is known about this bird. Only rare skeletons and giant eggs bear witness to a species that became extinct as a result of human activity. The first men to occupy Madagascar 2,000 years ago were familiar with this bird, whose legend lives on in stories such as the legend of the Rokh bird (notably encountered by Sindbad or Ibn Battuta) in the Arabian Arabian Nights, or the legend of the Vorompatra.
My orders
Sale information
Sales conditions
Return to catalogue