CANYON DIABLO — FROM THE BEST-PRESERVED METEORITE CRATER ON EARTH - photo 1
CANYON DIABLO — FROM THE BEST-PRESERVED METEORITE CRATER ON EARTH - photo 2
CANYON DIABLO — FROM THE BEST-PRESERVED METEORITE CRATER ON EARTH - photo 3

CANYON DIABLO — FROM THE BEST-PRESERVED METEORITE CRATER ON EARTH

Lot 4
06.04.2022 14:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 1 638
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 737493
Lot 4 | CANYON DIABLO — FROM THE BEST-PRESERVED METEORITE CRATER ON EARTH
Estimate value
£ 2 000 – 3 000
Palm-sized piece in original “as-found” condition, painted specimen number KL-147 from University of New Mexico Institute of Meteoritics, with collection label.

Canyon Diablos ("Canyon of the Devil") are the quintessential American meteorite, prized by museums and private collectors everywhere. Like most meteorites, this specimen originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Approximately 49,000 years ago it was part of an errant asteroid that plowed into the Arizona desert with the force of more than 100 atomic bombs. Fragments were ejected more than 11 miles away from the point of impact, and the main mass vaporized, creating the world's best-preserved meteorite crater. The renowned "Meteor Crater" near Winslow, Arizona, is nearly one mile across and 600 feet deep.

At the turn of the 20th Century, businessman Daniel Barringer reasoned that this crater had to have been created by an enormous mass weighing millions of tons; and he believed this mass, worth a fortune in nickel and iron, lay under the crater's base. In 1903 Barringer filed a mining claim and commenced drilling. Although he worked for years, he did not find a large mass. Barringer later formed a public entity to assist in financing additional exploratory drilling. Still nothing. Scientists later determined that a meteorite far smaller than what Barringer believed existed would possess sufficient energy to blow a huge hole in the desert floor — as well as generate enough heat to vaporize much of its mass. In effect, the mass that Barringer spent the last decades of his life searching for did not exist — but this dense, engaging example is an exemplary find. The crater itself is an international tourist attraction not to be missed.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalogue.
120 mm x 70 mm x 20 mm (43/4 x 23/4 x 3/4 in.)
514g.
Medium:Iron
Category:Meteorite
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
23.03.2022 – 06.04.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.