Iron, coarse octahedrite – IAB-MG; Gran Chaco, Argentina (27°28' S, 60°35' W)

Campo del Cielo meteorites are the remnant of a collision between two asteroids in interplanetary space - similar to lot 24. About 5,000 years ago meteorites rained down in North-Central Argentina in an area known as Campo del Cielo (“Valley of the Sky”) — a most apt name. Spanish Conquistadors were the first to document the meteorites in the 16^th Century, but never for an instant did they consider the possibility of extraterrestrial origin — unlike the indigenous natives who spoke of these large metallic masses as having fallen from heaven. The first large meteorite ever displayed at the British Museum of Natural History was a Campo, and several large Campo del Cielo masses are today found in the finest museums in the world.

Now offered is a superlative example of the Campo del Cielo event. This specimen has scores of small sockets on its gently undulating face and also cover its more animated reverse. Most meteorites are very prosaic objects which typically do not possess a single appealing orientation in this auction. However, you will not see such specimens in this offering and, unlike the vast majority of iron meteorites, it was extremely challenging to determine what side of this meteorite should be front and center. Unlike lots 21 and 51, whose sculpting was the result of both extraterrestrial and terrestrial forces, this meteorite was recovered from a higher elevation than the vast majority of Campo del Cielo specimens. As a result, it was less susceptible to incursions of ground water and bears a closer kinship with how it looked upon its arrival. An ebony patina with platinum-hued highlights blanket the mass which is loaded with signature thumbprint-like indentations resulting from its fiery plunge through Earth’s atmosphere. Unlike most aesthetic meteorites, this meteorite is compelling from any angle, in any orientation. Accompanied by a custom armature and Macovich Collection provenance.

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.

236 x 169 x 108mm (9.25 x 6.66 x 4.25 in.) and 13.08 kg (28.75 lbs)