Giants of the Ice Age: Woolly Mammoth Unveiled in Hong Kong
In Celebration of Sotheby’s Maison Opening, Sotheby’s and LANDMARK brought one of the largest prehistoric exhibitions to Hong Kong. The public showcase featured a rare 3.5-meter-tall Woolly Mammoth skeleton, dating back 12,000 years. The free exhibition allowed visitors to explore this incredible marvel of nature and immerse themselves in a journey to the Ice Age. As part of the Sotheby’s vision to inspire generations of art and culture enthusiasts, Sotheby’s also hosted a series of workshops.
We invited parents and children to participate in “Discover, Learn & Play: An Exciting Archaeology x Biology Workshop for Young Explorers” led by Professor Rivera, a biological anthropologist from the University of Cambridge. Participants were able to delve into Earth's natural evolution and hone their critical thinking skills through hands-on DNA modeling.
“The opening of our Maison in the heart of Hong Kong marks a new era for Sotheby’s. This new location enables us not only to bring Sotheby’s closer to the community but also feature some of the world’s most unique and diverse objects to the public, thereby sparking curiosity amongst all whom visit Sotheby’s.”
Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) – perhaps the most well-known and studied species of mammoth – conquered the earth during the last ice age, known as the Pleistocene epoch. Exceptionally well preserved in its entirety, this rare complete individual woolly mammoth skeleton is unlike other examples found in museums, which are often composed of bones from multiple specimens. Extant in Siberia at the time of the third Ice Age, the species existed at the same time as the Neanderthal man, during the Middle Paleolithic period and as the Homo sapiens during the Upper Paleolithic Period until their extinction around 12,000 BC. Hunted by prehistoric man, mammoths developed special teeth and defenses to protect themselves from predators and hunters. Their long, curved tusks were used not only in self-defense, but also for digging and scraping beneath the snow for food. These naturally formed tusks emerged at birth and continued to grow in an organic curve throughout their lifetime.
“This rare exhibition with Sotheby’s marks the first of a series of exceptional experiences LANDMARK brings to Hong Kong as part of our ‘Tomorrow’s CENTRAL’ transformation. Our vision is to curate world-class experiences that will enrich and inspire our community.”
