MUONIONALUSTA METEORITE — AN EQUALATERAL PYRAMID - photo 1

MUONIONALUSTA METEORITE — AN EQUALATERAL PYRAMID

Lot 11
28.03.2023 11:00UTC -04:00
Classic
Sold
$ 17 640
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 927007
Lot 11 | MUONIONALUSTA METEORITE — AN EQUALATERAL PYRAMID
Estimate value
$ 6 000 – 9 000
Possessing what is among the highest terrestrial ages of any meteorite, Muonionalusta fell to Earth about one million years ago in what is now northern Sweden. While meteorite hunters have unearthed numerous masses in recent years using metal detectors, it was back in 1906 that children discovered the first Muonionalusta while engaging in a favorite childhood pastime — the kicking of a rock…which could not readily be kicked.

Muonionalusta specimens are glacial erratics (material transported by a glacier), and their exposure to churning rocks and ice would account for the smooth surface and prosaic shapes of most specimens. As a result of being in one of Earth's largest rock tumblers, Muonionalusta meteorites are rarely aesthetic and instead have to be cut and sectioned in order to reveal the internal splendor seen in slices, spheres, watch faces, earrings and now an equilateral pyramid.

As the crystalline intergrowth seen does not appear in steel or rare examples of terrestrial metallic iron, its presence is diagnostic for iron meteorites, and different patterns are indicative of different meteorites.

Given the nearly identical chemical composition and crystalline fingerprint of Muonionalusta and Gibeon meteorites, we know they both originated from the same parent asteroid which shattered early in solar system history. While the Muonionalusta meteorite shower occurred approximately one million years ago, Gibeons tarried…but ultimately made it to the party on Earth about 975,000 years later.

This modern yet ancient sculptural form was rendered by renowned Russian artisan Alexei Kovalev. A narrow border at the perimeter of each triangular face is highly polished in what is otherwise a metallic crystalline pyramid from interplanetary space.

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.

66 x 79 x 66mm (2.5 x 3.1 x 2.5 in.) and 477.6 grams (1.0 lb)
Art style:Aestheticism
Category:Meteorite
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
28.03.2023
27.03.2023
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

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.
master of sant&amp
Create a Search Subscription