Henbury Meteorite — Complete Sculptural Tabletop Meteorite From Renowned Australian Meteorite Shower

First found in 1931 following reports of metal stones found by Aborigines in the middle of Australia’s Outback, more than one dozen distinct meteorite craters have been documented in the Henbury meteorite strewn field (the elliptical area in which a meteorite shower is dispersed across Earth’s surface). This meteorite formed billions of years ago within the molten core of an asteroid whose shattered remains constitute the asteroid belt. Ejected into an Earth crossing orbit, Henbury masses slammed into Earth’s atmosphere where they rained down almost smack in the middle of the Australian continent nearly 5,000 years ago. If this meteorite were cut — which should never occur as this is a highly aesthetic example — its internal structure would be the same as seen in lot 124. Henbury is one of the great meteorite showers on record; the impact area is considered sacred by indigenous Aborigines and one wonders whether the frightening event of its arrival had been witnessed. Revealingly, previous generations referred to Henbury meteorites as chindu china waru chingi yabu ("sun walk fire devil rock"), a colorful description of a meteorite if there ever was one. Exhibiting the quintessential attributes of a Henbury meteorite, this specimen is delimited by three crests and two pronounced concavities. The signature variegated ochre patina from the Australian Outback accents what is in every sense a superior iron meteorite.

PROVENANCE:

Macovich Collection, New York City