Mid 20th Century Wm. Otto Bronze "Teratornis" Prehistoric Vulture Sculpture

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This authentic, heavy cast bronze/brass miniature sculpture depicts the extinct Pleistocene bird of prey, Teratornis merriami (Merriam's Teratorn). Created by … Read more This authentic, heavy cast bronze/brass miniature sculpture depicts the extinct Pleistocene bird of prey, Teratornis merriami (Merriam's Teratorn). Created by master sculptor and museum curator William "Wm" Otto, this piece was part of a highly collectible series produced in the late 1950s and 1960s for the La Brea Tar Pits collection in Los Angeles.

Modeled directly from fossil reconstructions, the figure captures the massive prehistoric bird in a classic predatory, outstretched stance. The Teratornis is widely considered one of the most coveted and difficult-to-find figures from Otto's 14-piece collection due to the rarity of its wide wingspan variant, which was highly susceptible to damage. See less