Treasure vault with masterpieces

At the rear end of the museum’s ground floor, the design of the treasure vault clearly stands out from the other museum rooms. In the copper-red room with fluffy carpet and dimmed light, 50 artworks of nature are strikingly staged. These magnificent fossils, the Masterpieces, were created by Nature in her underground studio over the last 550 million years using pressure and minerals. The virtual tour offers a peek into our magnificent treasure vault.

In contrast to traditional palaeontological exhibitions, the exhibits are not presented according to age or species, but as works of art that stimulate the imagination and promote the aesthetic pleasure one usually expects in art museums.

On long-lasting loan from the Sauriermuseum Aathal, the Masterpieces are now a constant part of the permanent exhibition at the Natural History Museum of the University of Zurich.

A catalogue with pictures and detailed descriptions of the individual fossils provides in-depth information and artistic considerations. The catalogue is available in German and English in the museum shop.