GIBEON METEORITE — SINGULAR EXOTIC SCULPTURE FROM OUTER SPACE - photo 1
GIBEON METEORITE — SINGULAR EXOTIC SCULPTURE FROM OUTER SPACE - photo 2

GIBEON METEORITE — SINGULAR EXOTIC SCULPTURE FROM OUTER SPACE

Lot 62
23.02.2022 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
$ 170 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 716447
Lot 62 | GIBEON METEORITE — SINGULAR EXOTIC SCULPTURE FROM OUTER SPACE
Estimate value
$ 200 000 – 300 000
Like most iron meteorites, Gibeon meteorites formed 4.5 billion years ago within the molten core of an asteroid whose shattered remains are now part of the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. Unlike most iron meteorites, this Gibeon is among the most aesthetic iron meteorites known. While lot 25 epitomizes the best traits of an exemplary Gibeon meteorite, now offered is the furthest thing from such an idealization in what is fundamentally a unique, exotic form.

The mass from which this meteorite originated was on an Earth-crossing orbit whose journey in space lasted millions of years. Gibeon meteorites finally landed on Earth thousands of years ago when the wandering iron mass from which this meteorite originated slammed into the atmosphere before exploding and raining down in what is now the Kalahari Desert in Namibia. In previous generations, indigenous tribesmen recovered small meteorite fragments at or near the surface and fashioned them into spear points and other tools. This specimen was recovered with the aid of a metal detector. Its final shape is the product of its composition, the soil chemistry where it landed, its orientation in the ground, the amount of groundwater to which it was exposed — and the amount of time this meteorite was exposed to the earthly elements. This specimen is a reminder that timing is everything. Had this meteorite lay undiscovered for another thousand years, it might not be the single extraordinary form now seen but instead would be two prosaic meteorites.

Draped in a variegated gun metal-hued patina with ochre accents, depending upon this meteorite’s orientation, either the letter “C” or “U” are imparted. A surface texture of gentle ridges delimits the perimeter of the mass. Originating from the asteroid belt, this meteorite was hewn by monumental forces encountered in space, frictional heating as it plunged through Earth’s atmosphere, and most prominently, the effects of Earth’s elements during its millennia-long residency at the edge of the Kalahari Desert. Hewn from what is akin to extraterrestrial steel, meteorites almost never look like this extraordinary 4.5-billion-year-old abstract example which is among the more exotic sculptural meteorites known. Accompanied by a custom armature as well as a plinth.

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.

404 x 295 x 176mm (16 x 11.5 x 6.75 in.) and 61.05 kg (134.5 lbs)
Art style:Aestheticism
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.
?>
×
Save this search query and get timely email alerts! It is simple and very effective.
philippe caffiéri (1714 - 1774)
Create a Search Subscription