The Treasure House Fair, opening at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, lives up to its name as a true treasure trove for collectors…
With an unprecedented, unseen, and unimaginable collection of art, natural wonders, enchanting jewels, and much more, the first edition of the exhibition included impressive works like a silver clock commissioned by Charles II from Thomas Tompion, the father of English clockmaking, which sold for over $5 million. This year, in its second edition, the spotlight is not on a piece of jewelry, painting, or artwork, but a fossil. In 2021, an incredibly rare fossil of a giant sea dragon, 180 million years old, was discovered in the Rutland Water Nature Reserve in central England.
The unique fossil of a female ichthyosaur, a marine predator that existed 250 million years ago, even before dinosaurs roamed the planet, is up for sale. This rare find, named Mutti, represents a pregnant predator carrying nearly eight tiny embryos between its fossilized ribs. It could be an extraordinary addition to the collection of modern Medici. The 180-million-year-old pregnant ichthyosaur, a significant piece of natural history, will be offered at auction with an estimated value of $1.5 million.
Other exceptional offerings at the fair include a 100.8-carat Type II oval diamond, estimated at $21 million, and a pair of commodes worth nearly $2.5 million, made by Mathieu Criaerd for Madame de Pompadour in 1745. The exclusive Treasure House Fair will take place from June 27 to July 2 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.
