THE SAHARA DESERT

This remarkable natural sculpture was formed in one ten thousandth of a second, from the interaction of lightning with earth. Driven by electrical potential of around 1 billion volts, lightning heats the air to approximately 30,000 degrees Kelvin. If conditions are right, these strikes can melt the earth into a kind of glass called lechatelierite, more commonly known as fulgurite, from the Latin fulgur (lightning).

Fulgurites contain a hollow internal glass tube, with a rough exterior which flares into spiky ridges and undulating channels. Sand grains can also be preserved, as with the present piece, and are a remnant of the instantaneous transformation of earth to glass. Owing to their rarity and the difficulty of excavation, fulgurites are usually only small, measuring just a few centimetres in length. The present example is one of the largest and most sculptural to have appeared on the market.

27in. (69cm.) long

Collected in 2007

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.
This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.
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