Phillips auction house sold a juvenile Triceratops skeleton named Cera for $5.4 million at its Modern and contemporary evening sale in New York, marking the company's first foray into dinosaur fossils. The specimen, discovered in South Dakota's Hell Creek Formation, is the first juvenile Triceratops ever uncovered and features two-thirds of its original skeleton. The sale exceeded its low estimate of $2.5 million, and other natural history lots, including a preserved marine crocodile, were also offered.
The move into natural history auctions reflects Phillips's strategy to diversify amid a shrinking art market, where sales have fallen over 30% since a 2022 peak. The auction house cited client demand for rare objects beyond traditional collecting categories. The success of Cera, following high-profile dinosaur sales at Sotheby's and Christie's, signals a growing crossover between art and natural history collecting, with Phillips partnering with dealer Christian Link to expand this new business line.