Elephant bird, Madagascar, ostrich, Vorompatra - Fossilised egg - Aepyornis maximus - 32 cm - 24 cm

Prepared egg of Aepyornis maximus with small feeding hole No. 004, Weight: 2120 g, Circumference crosswise (measured at the mid-axis): 75 cm, Circumference tall (measured at the mid-axis): 88 cm, Height 32 cm, Width / maximum diameter at the thickest point 24 cm
The Vorompatras were the only giant flightless birds still observed, hunted, and exterminated by humans. The endemic, Madagascar-only “elephant bird” is said to have lived from the Pleistocene to the 17th century. Until its extinction, it even served as a food source for the locals and passing ships. The legends of the Malagasy (ethnic groups Mahafaly, Atandroy, and Antanosy) recount that in “ancient times” even the settlements of the indigenous people were laid near nesting sites of the flightless bird, as these provided excellent food sources. These sites were regarded as sacred even after the birds’ extinction and treated as a secret knowledge. To this day, eggs remain in families, treated as heirlooms and “curious treasure,” but are sold only in absolute exceptions.

In science, first described in 1870 by the French researcher Granddidier with “Aepyornis maximus” or earlier also Aepyornis titan (the largest of 4 species of the genus Aepyornis), it was similar to the modern African ostriches. A giant flightless bird, its size over 3 m, with a weight of about 500 kg. The eggs are larger than all previously found dinosaur eggs. Since they were the largest eggs in the world, biologically they are also the largest known cells in the world. The Aepyornis was the model for the bird “Rock” in the tales from One Thousand and One Nights, which recount the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor. In Arab tales, the “elephant bird” is often mentioned, said to be so strong that it could seize an elephant and carry it away while flying. The “elephant birds” lived roughly concurrent with the well-known New Zealand giant flightless birds, the Moas, extinct only in the 19th century. Like the extinct Moas, the living Australian emus and South American nandus, the elephant bird had 3 toes. The Aepyornis was not related to the New Zealand Moas. The contents amounted to 8 to 9 liters, 6 times more than that of the African ostrich, 150 times more than that of a chicken egg.

Untreated, unbroken eggs, without additives, are postfossil rarities and extremely rare. These specimens have fetched prices of over €100,000. More commonly, the indigenous people find complete clutches of hatched chicks. The associated broken eggshells are kept as treasures and sometimes reassembled. The egg offered here was crafted by an experienced preparator in Madagascar, artfully assembled from the original shells of a clutch. As is customary in museum technique, the original state of the object was restored in this way. The remaining seams were sealed with powdered shells and calcium carbonate binders. The resulting collectible shows the original splendor of the natural fossil and enables acquisition at a much more affordable price than an unprepared egg. In any case, it is a unique piece in any collection and a testimony to fossil history. This egg comes from a family collection from the 1970s to the 1990s. Today export from Madagascar is prohibited.
Delivery includes a Plexiglas ring as stand, certificate, and a professional booklet by Ernst Probst on all findings about elephant birds.
If there is serious interest, I will happily provide copies of all available provenance documents for the object.
Delivery and viewing by arrangement. The photos were taken under different light sources and have not been digitally altered.
Source of photos: Von Monnier source, Von Monnier digimorph org, Wikimedia, private collection