Similar to lot 103 but smaller. The Willamette meteorite is a centerpiece exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History (“AMNH”) in New York City — and the specimen now offered originates from this very same mass.

Willamette was discovered in 1902 in the forest of the Willamette Valley and purchased by Mrs. William E. Dodge, who gifted the meteorite to the AMNH where it has been on display for 120 years and has been seen by an estimated 75 million people.

In 1999, a coalition of Oregonian Native Americans, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, filed a claim to have the meteorite returned to Oregon under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The Museum responded by filing a lawsuit in federal court. As part of an out-of-court settlement, in addition to other concessions to benefit the Grand Ronde, it was agreed the meteorite would remain a Museum centerpiece and never again be cut.

This complete slice is circumscribed by the meteorite’s natural exterior surface. On the cut surface, Willamette’s signature recrystallized Widmanstätten pattern is showcased to marvelous effect. Small, faint troilite inclusions provide further accent. It’s virtually unheard of to be able to obtain a sample of a centerpiece exhibit at a world-renowned museum. The Willamette meteorite is one such exception. Modern cutting.

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.
112 x 79 x 1mm (4.5 x 3 x 0.1 in.) and 31 grams

American Museum of Natural History, New York City
Macovich Collection of Meteorites, New York City