Extremely rare Dodo bird skeleton recovered following “Kovels Komments” story on Dodos

July 16, 2007 - PRLog -- Cleveland Ohio - July 17, 2007 – Once again predicting trends in antiques and collectibles, the Kovels have hit one out of the park. Following a recent story in “Kovels Komments” on the popularity of Dodo bird related collectibles, Reuters reported late last week that the ultimate Dodo collectible had been discovered. The news service said, "The remains of a Dodo were found in a cave beneath bamboo and tea plantations in Mauritius." The discovery was made earlier in June, but the location was kept secret until the skeleton was removed from the cave. The newly discovered remains will, no doubt, rekindle the interest of Dodo aficionados around the world.

As the Kovels reported, although the bird has been extinct since 1681, there is a great deal of interest around the world from collectors who have followed the tragic history of this fascinating, flightless bird. The newly discovered skeleton will only inspire more people to pursue Dodo collectibles.

There are few actual Dodo remains in storage or available on public view, making this recent find even more valuable. There are remains of one foot and two heads still known, plus about 20 bones found in the past few years. The American Museum of Natural History in New York City is said to have a complete skeleton of a single bird. But any realistic dodo in a museum that has skin and feathers is the work of an artist.

The people on Mauritius have made Dodo souvenirs for years, including stuffed toy dodos, wooden or glass birds, sheet music of songs with dodo in the lyrics and, of course, anything showing the “Alice in Wonderland” characters. Other examples of Dodo collectibles can be found in vintage art and antique ceramics including this piece by Edris Eckhardt (1907-1998) WPA figurine of Alice’s friends the White Rabbit and the Dodo (see: http://www.kovels.com/newspics/eckhardt-dodo-snippet.jpg). The famous Cleveland glass and ceramic artist made the Dodo’s feathers beige and blue.

The Dodo may be extinct, but the legend of the Dodo lives on in a myriad of collectibles, art and literature. To view some more recent prices for Dodo collectibles check out the entries in the Kovels online price guide: http://www.kovels.com/quick_lists/


Contact Info:
H. Makela
hmakela@kovels.com

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About the Kovels
Ralph and Terry Kovel are the authors of more than 95 books about collecting and antiques, including the best-selling annual price guide "Kovels’ Antiques and Collectibles Price List.” Hailed by Parade magazine as "the duke and duchess of the antiques world," the Kovels publish "Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles" (an award-winning newsletter) and write a syndicated weekly newspaper column distributed to more than 150 newspapers. They appeared weekly on the HGTV program "Flea Market Finds with the Kovels.” Their popular website with FREE price information is www.kovels.com. The Kovels' newest book is "Kovels' American Collectibles, 1900 to 2000,” published by Random House and available July 17, 2007, wherever books are sold and online at: http://www.kovels.com/KAC.

Website: www.kovels.com