Stalking mammoth is awaiting bids
This giant skeleton could be yours for a few million rand
THE LARGEST mammoth skeleton in private hands is now on exhibit and will be auctioned on December 16 by Aguttes Auctioneers inside Lyon-brotteaux railway station in France.
No doubt for the past few weeks bustling Lyon rail passengers were somewhat surprised by the gigantic mammoth skeleton – mounted in a walking position – that stands 3.4metres tall and is a staggering 5.3m long.
Aguttes auction house is not new to Jurassic Park residents. It sold a dinosaur skeleton for 1.1 million in Lyon in December 2016.
The mammoth, a contemporary of the Neanderthal man in the Middle Palaeolithic and Homo Sapiens in the Upper Paleolithic ages, we are academically told, was the largest land mammal ever. The one on auction now is expected to sell for £400 000 (about R7.4m) to £440 000.
The owner’s name has not been revealed, though it is difficult to imagine how he could have kept his giant mammoth a secret from his neighbours.
Sales of this kind of specimen are very rare.
In 2007, Christie’s Paris staged a highly publicised sale devoted to natural history. This immediately sparked off a debate between scientists, who wanted to retain control of the fossil market, and modern art collectors who – no doubt influenced by astute marketing – were beginning to take an interest in skeletons and started pushing up prices.
In the end, the mammoth skeleton was bought for 312 000 by a young contemporary art collector. Science had lost out and the young man then faced what must have been rather formidable transport operations.
Anyway, that’s all history now. The preview of the latest, and largest privately-owned mammoth skeleton, is now on at Lyon-brotteaux railway station. You can see it on Youtube.
SPOKES Auctioneers will sell 43 Eskom vehicles on Wednesday at 10am at Eskom Fleet Stores, 20 Homeleigh Halt, Beacon Bay, East London. Instructed by Eskom East London, the auction company will call for bids for vehicles including X29 Nissan Patrol 4x4, X9 Toyota Landcruiser, Mazda BT50 and Toyota Hilux double cabs.
Viewing is on Tuesday from 9.30am to 3pm.
For more details call 033 345 4812 or 079 528 1837 or see www.spokesauctoneers. co.
On Thursday at 10am Auction Specialist of 124 Shepstone Road, New Germany, will auction large quantities of office furniture and vehicles.
Included in the “no reserve” government auction are fingerprint scanners and aqua coolers.
Viewing is on Wednesday from 10am to 3.30pm.
For more details call 031 705 2160, Sbu on 063 516 3268 or Patricia on 084 310 2244.
Variety is the spice of life at Martin Auctioneers’ weekly sales on Thursdays at 10.30am.
The venue is 37 Stanger Street, Durban with viewing the day before the sale.
Expect anything from lounge suites to office furniture, carpets, laptops, pool equipment, paint, bolts, door handles, toys and cellphones.
Readers can like the company on facebook @https:// www.facebook.com/martinauctioneers.
Ian Wyles Auctioneers will on Tuesday at 10.30am call for bids for an entire injection/blow moulding (shoe industry) and engineering workshop plant.
Ancillary equipment, office furniture and vehicles are also included in the sale at 8 Eddison Road, Northdene, Queensburgh.
For more details call Kuban Naicker on 082 601 3883 or 031 579 4403 or see www. ianwyles.co.za. – Auctions Writer