A GOGOTTE OLIGOCENE (30 MILLION YEARS OLD), FONTAINEBLEAU, FRANCE

the natural greyish-white sandstone concretion with a rounded body of cascading layers

As an underground water stream slowly filters through sand, these tears of stone are frozen upside down in eternal flight. The most prized examples of gogottes are found in Fontainebleau, France, the site of the Imperial Palace of Napoleon I, where they have been protected in a sandy basin for over 30 million years. Known to have inspired artists from the Surrealist Art movement, including Jean Arp, these wonderful forms can compare to the most beautiful modern sculpture.