From the Paleoproterozoic (circa 2.5 to 1.6 billion years ago), the specimen cut and polished to sculptural form evoking an open flame, supported on distinctive custom printstone base.
15¹⁄₂ 8¹⁄₂ x 5³⁄₄in. (39.5 x 21.5 x 14.5cm.)

This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage and our fees for storage are set out in the table below - these will apply whether the lot remains with Christie’s or is removed elsewhere. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Christie’s Park Royal. All collections from Christie’s Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.
Please note this lot is the property of a consumer. See H1 of the Conditions of Sale.

Conditions of Sale
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This lot is offered by Christie Manson & Woods Ltd

Brought to you by

James HyslopHead of Department, Science & Natural History

A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.

jhyslop@christies.com +44 (0) 20 7752 3205

Lot Essay

As one of the earliest fossilized forms of life, a mystery still surrounds the creation of Tiger Iron almost 2 billion years ago — during a hostile era when the newly formed continents were barren and life was confined to the seas. Scientists have suggested that it is a banded iron formation (layered sediments caused by photosynthetic cyanobacteria) or a Stromatolite (layers of algae), or even both. Simple photosynthesising life forms such as these dominated the first two billion years of life on Earth, and were probably the source of the Oxygen in the atmosphere