Lot Details

Sale 16155 - Natural History, 7 Dec 2008 to 8 Dec 2008
7601 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles
IMPORTANT HOLIDAY SHIPPING NOTICE:
Lot payment and Shipping payment must be received by 5pm Monday December 15th in order for Bonhams & Butterfields Shipping Department to guarantee that your packages will be shipped to arrive by Wednesday December 24th. Please note that we can not guarantee the third party carrier's transit time during the holiday season.

Session I: Order of Sale
Sunday, December 7, 2008
1001 – 1083 Natural History Curiosities
1086 – 1126 Meteorites and Tektites
1130 – 1252 Fossils
1253 – 1344 Native Metals
1278 – 1299 The William and Marian Ghidotti Foundation Collection of Crystallized Gold-in-Quartz
1300 – 1344 Collection of California Crystallized Gold-in-Quartz and Nuggets from a San Diego Collector
1345 – 1378 Décor
1388 – 1552 Minerals
1380 – 1404 Minerals to be sold “Without Reserve”
1545 – 1552 Rough and Cut
1553 – 1564 Carvings of Organic Materials
1570 – 1594 Lapidary Works of Art to be sold “Without Reserve”
1595 – 1645 Lapidary Works of Art

Session II: Order of Sale
Monday, December 8, 2008
1650 – 1698 Pearls
1710 – 1928 Jewelry and Gemstones
1710 – 1750 Jewelry and Gemstones to be sold “Without Reserve”

SNC - Balsaltic Shergottite (Mars Rock)
Sahara Desert, Algeria
Worthy of the world's foremost natural history museums, the current offering is the largest intact oriented meteorite from the planet Mars known to exist. At one time three larger examples existed, but they have since been subdivided for scientific analysis and distributed in the collecting community. NWA 4880 is the 4880 meteorite to be analyzed following recovery by nomadic Berbers in the North West African grid of the Sahara Desert. Covered with a fresh, glossy "burnt-sugar" fusion crust, this is also among the largest individual meteorites associated with the largest shower of Martian meteorites known, an event which resulted in the recovery of dozens of much smaller specimens. Moreover, it evidences the phenomenon of orientation (unlike most meteorites it did not endlessly tumble and spin during its plunge through Earth's atmosphere). In sum, this is among the very finest complete Martian meteorites known to exist. The number of small specimens recovered in the same area is proof of this meteorite being part of a larger mass that broke apart in the upper atmosphere. NWA 4880 was found in the same area as NWA 2975/2986/4766 and 4783, and it has been determined that all such meteorites are paired (evidence of a geochemical and isotopic match between different meteorites). The total known weight of all of these meteorites is less than 860 grams and most weigh just a few grams. Significantly, these are the only Martian meteorites in which complete specimens (meteorites which have not been subdivided as a result of the recovery of multiple specimens) are available. The most exotic meteorites are almost always available only as slices or fragments from larger masses, but given the number of specimens recovered from this event, many were spared subdivision. A copy of the scientific abstract that cites this meteorite in the Meteoritical Bulletin is included. Held aloft in a custom armature covered by a Lucite dome secured to the pedestal's base, this is an extremely notable offering. Provenance: Macovich Collection.
Measures 57 x 375 x 33mm (2.25 x 1.25 x 1.25 inches) and 90.5 grams.