COLD BOKKEVELD — RARE 19TH CENTURY CM2 WITNESSED FALL - photo 1
COLD BOKKEVELD — RARE 19TH CENTURY CM2 WITNESSED FALL - photo 2

COLD BOKKEVELD — RARE 19TH CENTURY CM2 WITNESSED FALL

Lot 31
23.02.2022 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
$ 2 520
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 716416
Lot 31 | COLD BOKKEVELD — RARE 19TH CENTURY CM2 WITNESSED FALL
Estimate value
$ 2 200 – 2 800
The Cold Bokkeveld meteorite fell approximately 60 miles northeast of Capetown, South Africa on October 13, 1838. Like Murchison (see lot 26) and Winchcombe (see lot 1) Cold Bokkeveld is a chemically primitive CM2 meteorite. Cold Bokkeveld is rich in organic compounds and hydrated minerals and was the first witnessed fall of a CM2 meteorite — decades before Mighei for which this class of meteorites was later named. Unlike Murchison, in which more than 100 kilograms were recovered, only 5.2 kilograms of Cold Bokkeveld are known to exist. Cold Bokkeveld is a breccia that was altered by water on its parent asteroid; it contains complex organic compounds different than those encountered on Earth — as well as microscopic diamonds and presolar grains that formed long before the solar system came into existence. The Cold Bokkeveld meteorite shower was described as follows in the American Journal of Science and Arts (Volume 40, No 1 Oct–Dec 1840, pp. 199):

“The event occurred on the morning of Oct 12, 1838 [subsequently corrected]. There was a cloudless sky without wind, when, say the Hottentots Kievet and Rattray, both under oath before a magistrate, about 9 o’clock ‘We heard a strange noise in the air, resembling the loudest thunder we had ever heard; and on looking up we perceived a stream passing over our head, issuing a noise which petrified us with terror: a burst took place close to the wagon [with which they were getting wood], when something fell and a smoke arose from the grass. My master sent me to look what it was that had fallen when I found a stone quite warm, so much so that I could not hold it in my hands.’ We are so fortunate to possess a good specimen of the African meteorite, through the kindness of a friend in Boston. It corresponds with Sir M. Faraday’s description, and is very different in appearance from any meteorite which we have seen.”

It was absolutely different from anything previously seen and the M. Faraday referenced is Michael Faraday (1791-1867), one of the most renowned scientists of all time. Available only once in a blue moon, this fragment features a large patch of fusion crust; the charcoal-hued matrix of this historic specimen is pristine. Like lot 23 and lot 42, this offering contains small calcium aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), the oldest matter humankind can touch.

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.

15 x 19 x 12mm (0.5 x 0.75 x 0.5 in.) and 3.271g (16.5 carats)
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.02.2022 – 23.02.2022
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.
?>