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A specimen of fossilised coral mounted on a fragment of Heliopora coerulea

Museum number: S127

On display: Study
All spaces are in No. 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields unless identified as in No. 12, Soane's first house. For tours https://www.soane.org/your-visit

Curatorial note

This specimen is composed of two fossilised pieces of different corals.The larger piece, which forms the base, is Heliopora coerulea or blue coral. The 1837 AB inventory describes this piece as 'A curious Natural Production found by a Diver in four Fathom water on the Coast of Ceylon [Sri Lanka]'. It seems likely that rather than being a 'natural production' this was in fact a manufactured specimen.


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