The market in dinosaur fossil sales has grown exponentially as part of a wider ‘dinomania’ and an increase in interest in natural history collecting. Dinosaur skeletons now change hands through public and private sales internationally for many millions – including Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex selling for £24.4 million in 2020 in New York and Apex the Stegosaurus selling for £34.2 million in July 2024. David Aaron was the first gallery to exhibit dinosaur fossils at major art fairs and has become a leading authority in this field by establishing best practice for assessing authenticity, completeness, and provenance requirements.
Partner in Mishcon Private, Amanda Gray, caught up with Salomon Aaron, a Director at David Aaron, to a commercial gallery which specialises in Classical Greek and Roman, Egyptian, Near Eastern, and Islamic works of art, as well as important items of natural history, including authentic large-scale dinosaur fossils. Originally established in 1910 in Iran, the gallery rose to prominence in the 1920s when Soleiman Haroon opened a second showroom in Alexandria, Egypt. In 1980 the gallery relocated to London, and Soleiman’s youngest son, David Aaron, opened his own gallery on Berkeley Square in 1998. David Aaron Ltd is now managed by the third and fourth generations of the Aaron family, with a showroom located at 25A Berkeley Square.
Amanda and Salomon discussed the market, the complex work required around due diligence in this space, specific intellectual property issues and the current "dinomania".
You have had some great finds such as Chomper, the junior T-rex, and a much-lauded exhibit stands at Frieze Masters that include triceratops. It is a landmark moment to have one of your dinosaur specimens in the Natural History Museum. Can you tell us about its discovery and the journey of Enigmacursor into this significant collection?
The Enigmacursor was first excavated in 2021-2022 which is when we were made aware of it. The completeness and bone quality were remarkable, and so we acquired the specimen instantaneously. Once we had arranged the finalised the extensive preparation process of the bones and it was ready to be presented, nearly 18 months later we showed it to the Natural History Museum. We make a conscious effort to prioritise and collaborate with museums as closely as possible. The curators were very excited, and reserved the specimen, hoping to find a donor to acquire it for the Museum. We exhibited the specimen at Frieze Masters as reserved and used the platform in the hope of encouraging a private buyer to acquire it for the Museum. We ended up persuading a client, who had never acquired a dinosaur fossil before, to acquire the specimen on behalf of the Natural History Museum. After the purchase, the curators finally had the opportunity to spend a significant time deeply researching the specimen and were able to conclude that it was a previously unknown species. The opportunity to place a major, and scientifically noteworthy, dinosaur fossil at the Natural History Museum is a distinct honour and career highlight.
We have worked over a number of years on dinosaur fossil transactions, navigating terms, jurisdictional considerations and due diligence. The appetite for collecting seems to remain on the ascendent. What do you think has caught the imagination of collectors? Is this the new ‘tulip mania’?
Dinosaur fossils that are in excellent condition, with the required proof of legal title, are undervalued still so I would expect interest in such dinosaur fossils to keep increasing. However, that is not the case for dinosaur fossils lacking either or both requirements. As clients increasingly use specialist advice or the legal counsel of experienced law firms such as Mishcon, I expect this divergence in interest, and price, to grow.
You approach your natural history acquisitions with rigorous academic scrutiny and methodical research. We have previously spoken about some of the complexities and the depths of due diligence you undertake regarding sourcing and acquiring dinosaur skeletons, such as identifying the country of origin, percentage of original bone, establishing whether a skeleton is complete or not and ownership. What are some of the challenges you have faced or can see on the horizon? Could high value and a successful market create new problems, such as a rise of fakes or poor practices?
There are always bad actors in any field, and I imagine we will always need to find new ways with Mishcon to scrutinise documentation. However, I would argue the principal challenge is in finding great specimens. The market is increasingly competitive, given the press it is generating, and we are finding it harder to replace our acquisitions or find new specimens.
Are dinosaur fossils attracting a new demographic of collectors to what you have seen before, or do they span the world of art/ and collectibles? Do they have the same approach to collecting that you have experienced in other fields, such as antiquities?
There are interesting differences. The clients interested in dinosaur fossils are usually a younger demographic and often work in the science or tech sectors. They are also more impulsive purchases, i.e. a client who acquires antiquities may already know about the field or the market. We sometimes sell dinosaur fossils to clients who never knew it was possible to collect in this category until the moment they visit us.
In 2023 you worked with palaeontologists and art science labs on a 3D scan of a juvenile T-rex skeleton to create a monumental sculpture that was exhibited in Mayfair. Given the rise in new technologies, do you envisage 3D printing creating a parallel or entry level market for collectors new to the field?
Yes definitely, 3D scans in different mediums, such as bronze, can look amazing in an interior setting. This is something we do on a bespoke basis, but our principal focus is on authentic dinosaur fossils.
You are part of a long-established intergenerational family business operating in the cultural sector. Do you think your grandfather would recognise the business today?
In some ways he would be shocked. In another way, he would recognise we are trying to continue the legacy he established that has been continued by our father; we are passionate and focused, and we try to collaborate and support museums and academic institutions in every way possible.
How would you like to see the Natural History Museum collection, and interest in the field, evolve?
I hope we continue to cultivate new collectors that build amazing private collections, and that they also become the patrons of the sciences that can support museums and research in this field.
And finally, what’s the worst dinosaur joke you have had to deal with at Frieze Masters?
"What do you call a dinosaur that sings? A Raptor." I am sure there are better ones!
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