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Rare Islamic artifact sells for $5.5 million
A rare Islamic crystal jug mistaken earlier this year for a cheap French claret pitcher has sold at auction for almost 3.2 million pounds ($5.6 million).
An anonymous bidder bought the 1,000-year-old rock crystal ewer — one of only seven of its kind known to exist — during a sale Tuesday of Islamic and Indian art at Christie's auction house in London.
The sale price of 3,177,250 pounds ($5.58 million) includes buyer's premium.
In January, the Lawrences auction house in southwest England identified the object as a 19th-century French claret jug and offered it for sale for 100 to 200 pounds ($175 to $350).
Some collectors sensed it was more special than that and, after a bidding war, the jug sold for 220,000 pounds, more than 1,000 times the list price.
Christie's said it has now been identified as "one of the rarest and most desirable works of art from the Islamic world." The auction house said the original sale had been annulled by agreement between the purchaser and the original owners, who wish to remain anonymous. No further information on that was available.
The slim-necked vessel, carved from a single piece of rock crystal and decorated with elaborate engravings of cheetahs, was made for the court of the Cairo-based Fatimid dynasty, which ruled a swath of the Middle East and North Africa between 908 and 1187 A.D.
Many artifacts from the era were lost when the Fatimid treasury was broken up by the Ayyubid rulers who succeeded them in the late 12th century.
Only six similar rock crystal ewers are known to survive, including one in London's Victoria and Albert Museum and another in the Louvre in Paris.
Another, part of the Pitti Palace collection in Florence, was dropped and smashed by a museum staff member in 1998. Restorers have worked without success to rebuild it. A rare Islamic crystal jug mistaken earlier this year for a cheap French claret pitcher has sold at auction for almost 3.2 million pou... more -
Two-headed turtle stolen from Brooklyn pet store!
Turtlenapped!
A cruel thief swiped Brooklyn's two-headed turtle between 11 a.m. and noon Sunday from a window tank at a Windsor Terrace pet store while the owner was with a customer.
RELATED: BROOKLYN PET STORE HAS TURTLE THAT CAN DISAGREE WITH ITSELF
Sean Casey, owner of the Hamilton Dog House on E. Third St., said it's crucial that he get the turtle back fast because it requires special handling.
For example, each head has to be fed by hand because otherwise they fight over food. Also, they have to be kept in a tank with shallow water because if it flips over - it could drown.
"We hope whoever has him will come forward," Casey said Monday. "We'll take the turtle back no questions asked. We want to make sure he gets everything he needs."
Casey said he didn't realize the turtle was missing until a customer asked him, "Hey, where's your turtle?"
"I was shocked," he said. "He was not up for adoption. He was sort of like a mascot."
Casey said he left the turtle out in the open "so that the kids could interact with him. It was right in front of the store."
The 27-year-old animal lover said he realized it's not every day that somebody gets to see a two-headed turtle, but he didn't think anybody would rip off the reptile.
"I grew up in the neighborhood and I know most of the people here," he said. "I did not expect it in this neighborhood."
Casey said disbelieving cops at first thought he pulling their leg when he called the precinct to report the theft.
Now that the law is on the case, he's raising reward money. He said the turtle is worth about $50.
Casey got the turtle from a man in Florida who rescued a bunch of eggs after an adult female was killed by a car a year ago.
About four months ago, the turtle started to deteriorate and the man turned to Sean Casey Animal Rescue, a nonprofit in Kensington specializing in exotic creatures.
Casey nursed it back to health at home, then brought the tank to his pet store. He still hasn't named the turtle.
Two-headed turtles are extremely rare. Turtlenapped! ... more -
Camera spots rare clouded leopard
Automatic cameras have captured images of a clouded leopard in Borneo's Sebangua National Park, an area where the cats have not been recorded before.
Researchers say confirmation of the leopards' presence highlights the need to protect the region's habitat.
The park is one of the world's largest deep peat-swap forests, but is at risk from illegal logging and forest fires.
The images are helping a team of scientists identify what big cat species are found in the area.
The motion-activated remote cameras that captured the remarkable images were located on the northern edge of the Sebangau National Park, Indonesian Borneo.
"The Bornean clouded leopard is a top priority for our programme," said Professor David Macdonald, director of Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, which is part of the Sebangau Felid Project.
"We are very excited by this evidence that they occur at Sebangau - a great deal remains to be discovered about these beautiful felids, which are a flagship for conservation in South-East Asia."
Camera action
Based on estimates of density and population range, the team says the clouded leopards number no more than 10,000 sexually mature adults.
The cat was first classified as a separate species in 2007 after genetic testing highlighted at least 40 differences from clouded leopards found on mainland Asia.
The project aims to protect Indonesian Borneo's wild cat species, which also include the leopard cat, marbled cat and flat-headed cat.
As well as capturing the first image of the Bornean cloud leopard (Neofelis diardi) in the park, the cameras have also photographed a number of other species, including Malaysian sun bears, bearded pigs and lesser mouse deer.
The national park is also home to the world's largest remaining population of Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii), and a "substantial" number of Bornean southern gibbons (Hylobates albibarbis). Automatic cameras have captured images of a clouded leopard in Borneo's Sebangua National Park, an area where the cats have not b... more -
"Conjoined" Birds In Arkansas Puzzle Experts
An apparent pair of conjoined barn swallows is causing a flutter among bird experts.
Judsonia, Arkansas, resident Danny Langford found the odd couple on July 17 after they fell out of their nest and onto his driveway. Barn swallows have nested near Langford's house for the past seven years, he said, before completing their annual migration to South America.
Arkansas wildlife officials who examined the young swallows said the phenomenon of conjoined twinning in birds is very rare.
"I can't even say it's one in a million—it's probably more than that," Karen Rowe, with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, told the Associated Press. "There's just very little to no records of such a thing."
But two barn swallows are not better as one. The birds stopped eating soon after they were found, and one died on July 18. A veterinarian later euthanized the surviving twin. Rowe told AP that she plans to send the bodies to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., for further study.
The news, however, isn't flying with everyone. Gary Graves, curator of the Smithsonian's bird division, told National Geographic News that, while it's possible the birds are the result of a genetic abnormality that started in the egg, he thinks this scenario is unlikely.
X-rays of the bodies taken at the Little Rock Zoo did not show shared internal organs or skeletal elements, which are typically present in conjoined twins. Also, the birds were initially thought to share only three legs, but later examinations found a fourth leg tucked under the skin connecting them, AP reported.
"More likely it's something that happened in the nest," Graves said. One baby bird could have suffered a cut, for example, which the other stuck its foot into or became stuck to, joining them as the wound scabbed and healed.
"It could be stuck together by glue for all we know. At this point, there's nothing scientific you can say about anything," Graves said. "This could be something far less of a spectacle and far more mundane." An apparent pair of conjoined barn swallows is causing a flutter among bird experts. ... more -
Caribbean Monk Seal Extinct, U.S. Officials Declare
Federal officials in the U.S. have confirmed what biologists have long thought: The Caribbean monk seal has gone the way of the dodo.
Humans hunting the docile creatures for food, skins, and blubber left the population unsustainable, say biologists, who warn that Mediterranean and Hawaiian monk seals could be the next to go.
From the 1700s to 1900s the seals were killed mainly for their blubber, which was processed into oils, used for lubrication, and applied as a coating on the bottom of boats.
The seals once had a population of more than 250,000, but they became easy game for hunters because they often rested, gave birth, or nursed their pups on beaches.
Seal skins were used for trunk linings, clothing, straps, and bags.
The Caribbean seals were classified as endangered in 1967, and wildlife experts investigated several reported sightings over the past few decades. But officials determined the animals spotted were actually other seal types.
"We must act now to reduce threats to existing monk seal populations before it's too late," she said. "These animals are important to the balance and health of the ocean. We can't afford to wait."
Monk seals are particularly sensitive to human disturbance, and the creatures have been losing their food supplies and beach habitats, officials say. Federal officials in the U.S. have confirmed what biologists have long thought: The Caribbean monk seal has gone the way of the dodo. ... more -
Rare white lion cubs born in Germany
Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, Germany, July 14, 2008—Three rare white lion cubs make their public debut at a wildlife park in north-central Germany.
The cubs are among of seven white lions born to two different mothers on June 30 in what park staff called a "giant surprise."
Despite their unusual look, white lions are actually African lions. A recessive gene causes their snowy white coats. About 30 white lions live in captivity worldwide. Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, Germany, July 14, 2008—Three rare white lion cubs make their public debut at a wildlife park in north-centr... more -
Two in a million: twins born - one black, one white
Doctors say it is an extremely rare occurrence, but it is possible if genes combine in a certain way. The twin boys, named Ryan and Leo, are the offspring of a mixed-race couple. Doctors say it is an extremely rare occurrence, but it is possible if genes combine in a certain way. The twin boys, named Ryan and Le... more
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Rare volcano eruptions caught on camera
Amazing volcano eruptions caught on camera from around the world showing the amazing power of nature and how fragile our planet Earth is.
Visit the website to see the full collection of volcano eruptions caught on camera. Amazing volcano eruptions caught on camera from around the world showing the amazing power of nature and how fragile our planet Earth ... more -
Frog-like bizarre baby
"This bizarre-looking baby was born in Charikot, the headquarters of Dolakha district, attracting a huge number of onlookers to witness the astonishing sight". "This bizarre-looking baby was born in Charikot, the headquarters of Dolakha district, attracting a huge number of onlookers to w... more
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Seashorses found breeding in the River Thames
Colonies of rare seahorses are living and breeding in the River Thames, conservationists have revealed. The short-snouted variety are endangered and normally live around the Canary Islands and Italy.
Hopefully they'll do better than that whale we had last year. Colonies of rare seahorses are living and breeding in the River Thames, conservationists have revealed. The short-snouted variety are ... more -
Ellis Island
For many immigrants beginning of the 20 century, "American dream" and money for the ticket through the trek, the island Ellis Island - the first impression of America. It was leaving the building of this new-old American customs officials found the long-awaited - "melting pot" - New York. Someone came to work, with the hope to return - read more at the link For many immigrants beginning of the 20 century, "American dream" and money for the ticket through the trek, the island Elli... more
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The clinic Hitler - an abandoned hospital in Germany
During both world wars used as a military hospital. He being treated here Adolf Hitler, as written in "Mein Kampf."
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Exclusive, rare and expensive
It is believed that most rare mineral organic origin whom little is known peynit: This orange stone was first discovered in Burma in the mid-50 - ies. Since then, in the world there are only two peynita. However, a couple of years ago it was open field, and now at the disposal of mankind are about a hundred polished rarities. The best known as a rock-a rarity famous red diamond. It is believed that most rare mineral organic origin whom little is known peynit: This orange stone was first discovered in Burma in t... more
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SAVE THE ETHIOPIAN WOLF!
This is the Kotera wolf pack, you can adopt these ones or spread the word!
Rarer than the Giant panda, with only exactly around 500 of the species left, not sure if they won't fall by the second, they are obviously and critically endangered.
The Koteras had originally been one of the fittest and most dominant groups living in the Ethiopian Bale Mountains, warning against rival packs, they were former best producers having the chance of pups, now reduced to just three.
Devestatingly, all Ethiopian wolf packs had been struck by the no mention of warning with rabies. Spread by domestic dogs. They HAD joined another pack, become large again, until they were permanently infected. they became skinny and died from the parasites people helped cause.
These remarkable animals are descended from the coyote and main species of wolf. If these die out, there's no chance in these creatures survival or reproduction from other relatives.
The koteras are really timid and live in fear of people, would never dare hurt a person unless cornered, NEVER would cause a deliberate attack. They stay well away from livestock too. And would make beuatiful parents of pups.
It is thought the female of the pack may be pregnant. She has before failed to reproduce healthy offspring.
Please help her, or at least know they exist, not many do. This is the Kotera wolf pack, you can adopt these ones or spread the word! ... more -
Rare Purple Pearl Found In $10 Plate Of Clams
Experts Say Pearl Worth Up To $25,000
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George and Leslie Brock rarely order steamed clams, but on their last visit to a Lake Worth, Florida restaurant, they decided to be spontaneous and order seafood. Little did they know?
"I'm eating the clams and it felt like a stone in the clam," said George.
He quickly spit it out on his plate, reacting as anybody would have under the same circumstances; biting down on a foreign, unexpected object in a normally soft textured food. Upon taking a closer look, he noticed the stone was actually a purple pearl.
.... Experts Say Pearl Worth Up To $25,000 .... ... more -
Rare Soviet Retro-Future Space Art
A collection of the most inspiring and hard-to-find retro-futuristic graphics from rather unlikely sources: Soviet & Eastern Bloc 'popular tech & science' magazines, German, Italian, British fantastic illustrations and promotional literature all from the Golden Age of Retro-Future (1930s to 1970s). A collection of the most inspiring and hard-to-find retro-futuristic graphics from rather unlikely sources: Soviet & Eastern Bloc ... more
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2,000-Year-Old Meteors to fall on 8.31.07
The meteors that are about to rain down in the early morning of September 1 date from around 4 A.D., the latest calculations show. Our calculations indicate Earth is about to cross the dust trail of comet Kiess, a comet that takes some 2000 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. The meteors that are about to rain down in the early morning of September 1 date from around 4 A.D., the latest calculations show. Ou... more
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News: Quadruplets born. Current.com: They're identical!
Without fertility drugs. The chances are one in 13 Million! There's a photo, but it's not coming up.
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Identical Triplets
Just a One in 200 Million chance to have identical triplets. Original egg split, and then that egg split again.......
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He might not look it, but this is a rare kitty
A three colored tortoiseshell cat
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