For International Women’s Day, we’re spotlighting four women at Sworders and the opportunities, learning and support that have shaped their careers.
8 March 2026
Bones from the most famous of all extinct birds come for sale as part of our Out of the Ordinary sale on February 15 & 16.
20 January 2022
The femur and phalanx bone from the dodo, the flightless species that died out in Mauritius around 330 years ago, are expected to make £3,000-4,000.
The dodo, a member of the pigeon family had thrived on Mauritius until the Dutch colonised the island in 1638. Hunted for sport and further threatened by the arrival of alien species such as rats, dogs, cats, and pigs, it was thought to have become extinct before 1690. It is one of the first occasions that man realised that human actions alone could cause a species to die out.
THE DODO,
before 1690, Mauritius, a set of Dodo femur and phalanx bones,
leg bone 7.5cm long
toe bone 4cm long
£3,000-4,000
The dodo bones on offer - a 7.5cm leg bone and a 4cm toe bone - are from a group of dodo bones discovered in 1885 during the investigation of the Mare aux Songes swamp in Mauritius by local schoolmaster George Clarke. Hearing that a few old dodo bones had been found in this area, Clarke hired local servants to wade through the mud and feel for further bones with their feet.
For International Women’s Day, we’re spotlighting four women at Sworders and the opportunities, learning and support that have shaped their careers.
8 March 2026
We are excited to share a collection of works from the estate of John Nash that features in our 31 March 'Modern & Contemporary Art' auction.
6 March 2026
One of the most rewarding aspects of our auctions is the opportunity to present a personal collection - an intimate glimpse into the tastes, influences and inspirations that shaped an individual’s life. This March, our Modern & Contemporary Art sale offers exactly that: a capsule of 20 works (lots 202–221) from the private art collection of Michael Rand, the celebrated art editor and director of The Sunday Times Magazine.
6 March 2026