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Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Ethnographical / Nautilus Pompilius Shell - An Elegant Natural History...
The perfection of the logarithmic spiral in a collectible specimen — This superb specimen is a sliced Nautilus pompilius shell, sourced from the waters of Papua New Guinea and expertly mounted on an Italian artisanal wooden and brass base. The object presents itself as a natural sculpture, an icon of natural history that embodies geometric perfection and the biological wonder of the marine world. The precise cut reveals its complex internal architecture, turning it from a malacological relic into an object of study and design. Direct observation allows us to appreciate the dual aesthetics of the Nautilus. The outer surface retains its original livery, characterized by an elegant pattern of irregular orange-brown stripes on a porcelain-white background. The section spectacularly reveals the famous logarithmic spiral, formed by a succession of chambers (or loculi) separated by transverse septa. Each chamber is a chapter of the cephalopod's life, and the progression of their sizes follows a constant mathematical ratio. The interior of the chambers and the inner wall of the shell shine with the iridescent luster of mother-of-pearl, or aragonite, which catches the light creating shifting reflections. The Nautilus is a genuine “living fossil,” a genus of shelled cephalopod mollusks that has inhabited the oceans for about 500 million years, surviving geological eras and mass extinctions. Its shell is not only protection but a sophisticated buoyancy device. The animal lives only in the last and largest chamber; the internal chambers are connected by a thin tube, the siphuncle, through which the Nautilus regulates the amount of gas and liquid, varying its density and thus controlling its position in the water column. Its form is one of the most famous natural examples of the logarithmic spiral (Spira mirabilis), a structure that grows while maintaining its shape. As a collectible object, this sliced Nautilus is an indispensable piece for a Wunderkammer or modern Cabinet of Curiosities. It represents the meeting point between science, art, and natural history. Its intrinsic elegance, accentuated by the minimalist, design-oriented base, makes it a decor element of great visual impact, perfect for enriching a study, a bookshelf, or a contemporary environment. The contrast between the organic shape of the shell and the clean lines of the wooden and brass support creates an aesthetic balance of rare refinement. The specimen has been carefully prepared to highlight its beauty and didactic value. The clean, sharp cut is not a damage, but an intervention aimed at revealing the hidden structure, allowing a understanding of the natural engineering of this extraordinary animal. This piece is not merely a shell, but a tangible testimony of evolution, a masterpiece of bio-architecture, and a universal symbol of harmony and growth.
Estimate:£360.5
To the auctionView all items fromCatawikiorEthnographical
Estimate:
£360.5
OCT 17 | 10:00 PM
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