Elephant bird egg nets over £60,000 at auction

A RARE complete egg of the long extinct elephant bird has sold for more than double its estimate, fetching £66,675.

The creature is believed to be the largest ever bird and the specimen sold by Christie’s in London is reckoned to be pre-17th century.

The partly fossilised egg – which had been valued at £20-£30,000 prior to sale – is 100 times the average size of a chicken’s egg and is 12 inches high, and eight and three-quarter inches at its widest point.

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It was one of the most celebrated lots at Christie’s travel, science and natural history sale.

The elephant bird looked like a heavily-built ostrich and grew up to 11ft in height, but is believed to have been hunted to extinction between the 14th and 17th centuries in Madagascar.

Although fragments can be found on the island, intact specimens are said to be extremely rare.

The sale figure includes the buyer’s premium.

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