MATCHLESS STONE METEORITE — AN ARTIFACT OF EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM HISTORY - photo 1

MATCHLESS STONE METEORITE — AN ARTIFACT OF EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM HISTORY

Lot 16
23.02.2022 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
$ 37 800
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 716401
Lot 16 | MATCHLESS STONE METEORITE — AN ARTIFACT OF EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM HISTORY
Estimate value
$ 50 000 – 80 000
To enable scientists to refer to individual meteorites, there must be a nomenclature system in place. So meteorites are named after the localities where they fall, but in the desert, where there are few distinguishing geological features, meteorites are named after the designated grid in which they are found; they are assigned sequential numbers. A small sample of the current offering (which was removed from the reverse side) is currently undergoing analysis by Dr. Carl Agee, the Director of the Institute of Meteoritics and among the world’s foremost experts in meteorite classification. As this meteorite was found in the North West African grid of the Sahara Desert, it will be assigned a name that commences “Northwest Africa” (NWA) followed by a unique number. The findings by Dr. Agee and his team indicating the meteorite type are peer reviewed by scientists on the Nomenclature Committee of the Meteoritical Society. Upon a consensus of the specimen’s petrography, geochemistry, type and classification, the meteorite is officially named and published in the Meteoritical Bulletin — the journal of record and bible of all meteorites.

The peer review process is nearly complete. “This is an H5 chondrite”, said Dr. Agee. “I’m just waiting to get the assigned NWA number; we should have it very soon”.

This triangular mass is all about the regmaglypts which form during a meteorite’s fiery passage through Earth’s atmosphere after traveling at a cosmic velocity of approximately 12 miles per second. The amount of frictional heating which occurs while the meteorite is burning through the atmosphere results in the meteorite’s exterior surface becoming molten, and as a result of air flow, it ablates off the mass. What’s striking about the current example, resulting in an extremely rare presentation, is that the regmaglypts are unusually large — up to 3.5 inches in length. The mass evokes a textured artifact from an archeological dig. And it is an artifact...but of an asteroid that once existed in the early solar system between Jupiter and Mars, an asteroid older than Earth itself. The reverse reveals the cut window from where the classification specimen was removed. A variegated walnut-hued matrix filled with metalflake is seen — a feature diagnostic in the identification of a meteorite, and in this instance, of a meteorite that is an exquisite extraterrestrial sculptural form. Accompanied by a custom armature.

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.

228 x 273 x 119mm (9 x 10.75 x 4.66 in.) and 8.974 kg (19.75 lbs)

Art style:Aestheticism
Category:Meteorite
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.
?>