NWA 12691 — THE MOON FASHIONED INTO A SPHERE - photo 1

NWA 12691 — THE MOON FASHIONED INTO A SPHERE

Sold
$ 17 640
Auction dateClassic
28.03.2023 11:00UTC -04:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
USA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 927006
Lot 9 | NWA 12691 — THE MOON FASHIONED INTO A SPHERE
The Moon is among the rarest substances on Earth. Every single bit could fit in the trunk of a large SUV. In addition, a significant fraction is not available to the public. All of the Apollo material and a good deal of lunar meteorites, i.e., pieces of the Moon ejected off the lunar surface following an asteroid impact, are held by public institutions and museums.

Only because of the relatively large amount of NWA 12691 material recovered does the opportunity exist to fashion a limited number of lunar spheres as the trimming, grinding and polishing result in a great deal of material loss. Now offered is a very limited and captivating presentation of the Moon.

NWA 12691 is composed of fragments of olivine, pigeonite, augite, ilmenite and signature white anorthite naturally cemented together by what was a melt of lunar regolith and other crushed rock. The brecciation seen is the result of ongoing asteroid bombardments (the source of nearly all of the Moon’s craters) prior to the impact responsible for launching this rock to Earth. Destined to forever inspire awe and wonder, this is the Moon.

For a more comprehensive description of a lunar sphere, see lot 45.

The official classification of the material from which this sphere was hewn was performed by Dr. Anthony Irving, the world’s foremost classifier of lunar and Martian meteorites. His work underwent peer review prior to publication in the 108th edition of the Meteoritical Bulletin.

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.

41mm (1.66 in.) in diameter and 106.9 grams (0.25 lbs)
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.