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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Ethnographical / Vivid Green Dendritic Moss Agate Natural Miniature...
This lot presents a finely carved and polished mossy agate sphere sourced from Madagascar, cut from a single block. The specimen stands out for its complex internal geography, where green dendritic inclusions create three-dimensional landscapes suspended within a translucent chalcedony matrix. The perfection of the spherical shape, combined with a mirror polish, acts as a lens inviting exploration of the mineral worlds enclosed inside. The sphere's surface is impeccably smooth and reveals a palette of subtle, natural colors. Shades of pale bluish gray and milky white form the backdrop for the dense inclusions that give the mineral its name. These inclusions, ranging in green from light to deep, branch into delicate filamentous and feathery structures, evoking mosses, seaweed, or forests seen from above. Light penetrates the more transparent sections, creating a fascinating play of depth and highlighting the multi-level arrangement of the inclusions. A particularly noteworthy feature is the presence of small cavities and geodes, whose walls are lined with a sparkling druse of microcrystals of quartz. These areas, visible in the photographs, create a material and visual contrast with the smoothness of the polished sphere, adding a focal point of brilliance. In some sections one can also observe faint concentric bands, typical of the agate family, that surround the crystallized cores and color patches, attesting to the slow silica deposition process. Mossy Agate is a variety of chalcedony (microcrystalline quartz) that does not display the classic concentric banding of common agates. Its peculiarity lies in the dendritic inclusions, formed by minerals such as chlorite or iron and manganese oxides, which crystallized inside the silica mass while it was still gelatinous, millions of years ago. These inclusions are not of organic origin, but draw patterns that perfectly imitate vegetal forms, making each specimen unique. The spherical shape results from skilled lapidary work that has best highlighted the stone's internal textures in the rough form. This sphere represents a superb collectible object, ideal for enriching a contemporary Wunderkammer or a thematic collection of mineral spheres. Its aesthetic, balancing geometric precision with nature's randomness, makes it a refined decorative element, perfect for a study, a library, or a setting with sophisticated design. It is a piece that invites contemplation, a small geological world to hold in the hand to appreciate every single detail, discovering a new view with each rotation, a new mineral landscape. Technical details Name: Mossy Agate Origin: Madagascar Dimensions: 66.5 x 66.5 x 66.5 mm Weight: 400 g Processing: Carved and polished sphere from natural material Conditions: Natural specimen worked. Crystalline cavities, growth lines, and inclusions are intrinsic features of the mineral and attest to its authenticity.
Estimate:£127.41
To the auctionView all items fromCatawikiorEthnographical
Estimate:
£127.41
OCT 8 | 3:00 PM
OCT 8 | 3:00 PM
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