A gogotte is a million years old naturally shaped mineral concretion formed of tiny quartz fragments held together by calcium carbonate. Principally found in Fontainebleau, France, these mother-nature made sculptures have inspired artists from Jean Arp, Henry Moore, and Louise Bourgeois. Louis XIV favored them and they have been exhibited at Versailles since the late 17thC.

As with clouds, these forms can be interpretive—I titled this one "Finger Sandwich," which features a hole through piled "fingers," which form in a triangular composition. Gogottes of this size with open spaces are hard to find. Lighting these can be fun—the images here show slight variations of the light source, which create slightly different shadow areas on the gogottes surface.

Particularly grand gogottes can be found at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C., The Royal Ontario Museum, and The Natural History Museum in London.

HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES AVAILABLE.

Condition for each: Excellent with custom bases included.