Deceptively dense, this meteorite was part of the historic Campo del Cielo (“Valley of the Sky”) meteorite shower. As is the case with all iron meteorites, Campo del Cielo meteorites are the result of a cataclysmic collision between two asteroids while traveling at hypervelocity. When a large metallic fragment from one of these shattered asteroids slammed into Earth’s upper atmosphere thousands of years ago, the pressure exerted on the mass caused it to explode. The larger fragments struck the ground at such a high velocity at least 26 impact craters formed, the largest about 100 meters across. It was approximately 4,000 years after their arrival on Earth that “Campos” were first documented in 1576 by Spanish Conquistadors in Argentina — who did not for an instant consider their otherworldly origin. It was a Campo that was the first large meteorite ever displayed in a major museum — London’s British Museum of Natural History — and several large Campo masses can be found today in the finest museums in the world. Few, however, are as beguiling as the modest-sized specimen offered here. Evoking the shape of a human heart, this meteorite is accented with a natural hole at its crest — an uncommon and much desired feature. A variegated gun metal-hued patina drapes the surface sockets, ridges and fine stippled texture. Accompanied by a custom armature, this natural sculpture from outer space has a Macovich Collection provenance, the finest collection of aesthetic iron meteorites in the world. 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. 95 x 79 x 51mm (3.75 x 3 x 2 in.) and 971 grams (2 lbs)

Macovich Collection of Meteorites, New York City