Koller - Out of This World Tuesday, 28 June 2022, 4pm

1829* PAESINA STONE Alberese limestone Eocene, 56-33.9 million years 12 x 13 cm Provenance: Italian private collection Ruin stone or Pietra Paesina is a variety of sedimentary rocks con- sisting of compressed limestone and clay found in the northern Apennines. Limestones that don’t look extraordinary on the outside are opened and reveal a hidden world within. The origin of these drawing-like landscapes is still unclear. However, they are certainly the result of the patient work of nature, which began about 50 million years ago. Ruin marble was used all over Europe as inlays for furniture, for mosaics, or even as background for oil paintings. Only recent- ly, starting at the beginning of the 19th century, these stones became independent objects of art. The stones that are found to be most interesting are cut into thin slabs, polished, and can now be admired as an abstract landscape painting. CHF 1 500 / 3 000 (€ 1 460 / 2 910) 1830* PECTEN Gigantopecten restitutensis Miocene – Burdigalian 20-15 million years 55 x 25 cm Provenance: Italian private collection Gigantopecten restitutensis is a species of bivalve mollusk that was found all over the world in the Miocene. The shells of these bivalves are particularly large, which can be seen wonderfully in this rare fossil. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Cretaceous period to the Quaternary period. CHF 3 000 / 4 000 (€ 2 910 / 3 880) | 30 Out of This World | Natural History, Space Exploration & Entertainment Memorabilia