MUONIONALUSTA METEORITE - SHARK'S TOOTH FROM OUTER SPACE
Iron, fine octahedrite
Kiruna, Norrbotten, Northern Sweden

Meteorites almost never look like this singularly-shaped example. Smooth, perfectly tapered and a naturally abstract objet d'art is not the way iron meteorites are typically described. Further, this anomalous example is nearly the perfect evocation of a tooth from a megalodon, a monstrous prehistoric shark (see lot 41286 ), the largest carnivorous fish to have existed. The unusual shape of this meteorite has everything to do with the earthly locality at which it was found. Muonionalusta is located in northern Sweden above the Arctic Circle. While meteorite hunters have unearthed several masses in recent years, it was in 1906 that children discovered the first Muonionalusta while engaging in a favorite childhood pastime: kicking rocks and striking something surprisingly dense which was later verified to be an iron meteorite. When you cut through a Muonionalusta meteorite, the internal crystalline structure enthralls. Its fine octahedral matrix is very similar to that of a Gibeon meteorite (see lots 41218 ). While the pattern is a function of the meteorite's composition and the cooling rate in outer space, this meteorite's shape is due to its immersion in moving water and repeated glaciation over a period of many thousands of years. In fact, estimated to have been on Earth for 800,000 years, Muonionalusta meteorites are among Earth's oldest known meteorites. The smooth surface of the current example is accented by a dappled ebony and ochre patina characteristic of the finest Muonionalustas. This highly aesthetic abstract sculpture from outer space packs quite a bite. Accompanied by a custom armature and a Macovich Collection provenance - the finest collection of aesthetic iron meteorites in the world. 205 x 193 x 88 mm (8 x 7.5 x 3.5 inches) and 8.37 kilograms (18.5 pounds).

Estimate: $11,000 - $14,000