It was at 2:15 pm on September 13, 1937 that Kainsaz streaked across the sky with a series of detonations heard 130 kilometers away. Uncertain as to its origins, KGB agents were placed on high alert and recovered the four largest meteorites. Now offered is a smaller specimen of Kainsaz more recently recovered by an intrepid meteorite hunter. Kainsaz is a member of the carbonaceous CO3 subgroup. It is Russia’s only CO3 meteorite and there are just five other CO3 witnessed falls — and it’s quite the exclusive club: Ornans, Lancé, Moss, Warrenton and Felix. Of these six, Kainsaz is the most unequilibrated, i.e., the most unaltered and least metamorphosed. It also contains the highest percentage of iron-nickel of any CO3 meteorite.

In addition, Kainsaz contains a relatively high abundance of pre-solar grains —particles that formed in the atmospheres of dying stars long before the creation of our solar system. Also present in Kainsaz are light-colored CAIs (calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions), the first particulate matter to have formed in the gaseous nebula from which the Sun and planets sprang; they represent the oldest matter humankind can see with the naked eye and touch. Like other CO chondrites, Kainsaz contains some of the smallest chondrules known among major chondrite groups. Kainsaz also contains insoluble extraterrestrial organic matter (also referred to as prebiotics) as well as some of the least altered fine-grained inclusions in a meteorite yet to be discovered.

Now offered is an uncommon complete Kainsaz meteorite. The softly triangular, axe-head shape is covered in more than 75% fusion crust. It is extremely fresh with windows to the matrix where the fusion crust abraded away. More than 500 scientific papers have either featured or cited Kainsaz; for the sophisticated collector, this is an exemplary specimen of this renowned meteorite. Accompanied by a custom armature.

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.

104 x 78 x 69mm (4 x 3 x 2.75 in.) and 1054.6 grams (2.33 lbs)