Out of This World II Tuesday, 18 April 2023, 4pm

901* MEDICAL ANATOMICAL HALF-HEADMODEL Probably France, 1940s Papier-mâché, painted 26 × 21 × 8 cm (without stand) Provenance: Private collection, Switzerland This hand-painted, cross-sectioned medical head of papier- mâché is likely to have been made in France around the 1940s. The fascination for medical objects like these made such objects a frequent part of curiosity cabinets. CHF 600 / 800 (€ 600 / 800) 902* ♣ MURDER CLAM Tridacna maxima Indo-Pacific, 1940 53 × 35 × 44 cm This maxima clam (Tridacna maxima), also known as the small giant clam, is a species of bivalve mollusc found throughout the Indo-Pacific region. For hundreds of years, Tricadna maxima has been a staple of curiosity cabinets and sideshows that spin tall tales to gullible audiences. This is probably why molluscs of this size and upwards are often referred to as ‘murder clams’ in popular culture. But the truth is that even the largest molluscs are of no danger to humans. CHF 800 / 1 500 (€ 800 / 1 500) 903* TRILOBITE Circa 350 million years USA 8 × 4.5 × 2.5 cm Trilobites (‘three-lappers’) are an extinct class of marine arthropods. They are considered to be the most important leading fossils of the Earth’s history. Their remains are used to determine the relative ages of various sedimentary rocks. This is an exceptionally beautiful specimen with fine limbs carefully carved out of the stone. CHF 1 500 / 2 000 (€ 1 500 / 2 000) | 4 Out of This World | Natural History, Space Exploration & Entertainment Memorabilia