In November, Phillips will be auctioning a juvenile Triceratops skeleton that could fetch up to $3.5 million.
Named “Cera“, the skeleton is the first full Triceratops discovered, retaining more than two-thirds of its skeleton. It was excavated in 2016 in South Dakota and contains most of the integral skeletal parts, including limbs and the vertebral column. For a skeleton over 66 million years old, the condition is considered remarkable.
“Cera“, whose name is a reference to a character from the film The Land Before Time, is estimated to fetch between $2.5 million and $3.5 million. While impressive, it is not close to the record-breaking stegosaurus skeleton sold at Sotheby’s last year for $7.4 million. Meity Heiden, chairman of private sales at Phillips, said: “There’s something powerful about the visual dialogue that happens between an awe-inspiring 66-million-year-old lot when presented alongside seminal works from the Modern and Contemporary eras. Client demand has inspired this offering, and we cannot wait to share this opportunity with our global collecting community this fall.”
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The Triceratops skeleton is part of the upcoming “Out of this World” auction at the auction house in November. The sale would focus on rare and incredible objects from the natural world, like a rare gold nugget. The move is part of Phillips’ attempt to move beyond traditional art collectors and capture collectors of other rare and novelty objects. Regarding the auction, Heiden said: “It is undeniable that today’s global collectors are increasingly drawn to rare and extraordinary objects that transcend traditional collecting categories. They seek the unexpected. As a house known for innovation and nimbly meeting market demand, expanding our offering to include wonders of the ancient world is a natural next step for Phillips.”
