The elongated form evocative of a rocket, this meteorite has a surface intersected by deep grooves. Deceptively dense, this meteorite is pocketed with a russet patina with platinum highlights to the ridges. The reverse side is relatively flat allowing the meteorite to sit stably on its side, or can be mounted upright on custom pedestal.
18 x 9 x 6¹⁄₂in. (46 x 23 x 16.5cm.)
24¹⁄₂ x 9¹⁄₂ x 10in. (61 x 24 x 25.5cm.) on stand
32kg.

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.
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

Thousands of years after landing on Earth, Campo del Cielo (“Valley of the Sky”) meteorites were first written about in 1576 by Spanish explorers in Argentina when their unearthly origins were not yet understood. It was a “Campo” that was the first large meteorite ever displayed in a major museum — the British Museum of Natural History — and several large Campo del Cielo masses can be found today in the finest museums in the world.

Campo del Cielo meteorites formed as the result of two asteroids colliding at cosmic velocity in interplanetary space. When a large fragment from one of these asteroids hit Earth’s upper atmosphere more than 4,000 years ago, the immense pressure exerted on the mass caused it to explode into thousands of pieces. The larger meteorites struck the ground at such a high velocity that an array of at least 26 impact craters formed, the largest a football field in diameter.