Defined by a central concavity—a fissure that formed as this offering plunged through Earth’s atmosphere—the surface of this meteorite is covered with the telltale thumbprints that result from atmospheric frictional heating. The ridges are smooth and the surface texture is finely stippled. Deceptively dense, this meteorite is blanketed in a gunmetal patina with platinum accents. The convex reverse provides contrasting character.
171 x 189 x 118mm. (6¾ x 7½ x 4⅔in.)

11.17kg. (24⅔lbs)

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Lot Essay

Campo del Cielo meteorites are the result of a collision between two asteroids in interplanetary space. When a large fragment from one of these asteroids hit Earth’s upper atmosphere 6,000 years ago, the pressure caused it to explode and break up into thousands of pieces. The larger meteorites struck the ground at such a high velocity that an array of 26 impact craters formed, the largest measuring a football field in diameter. Thousands of years later after having collided with Earth, Campo del Cielo (“Valley of the Sky”) meteorites were first documented in 1576 by Spanish explorers in what is now Argentina, when the meteorites unearthly origins were not yet understood. The first large meteorite displayed at the British Museum of Natural History was a “Campo”. Several large Campo del Cielo masses can be found today in the finest museums throughout the world. This specimen is a choice representation.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalog note.