Lot 4016* - A211 Out of This World - Tuesday, 03. December 2024, 05.00 PM
DARK GREEN TEKTITE
Circa 1.5 million years
Ukraine
Glass (silica)
5.7 × 2.5 × 1 cm (measurements not including stand)
Ukraine
Glass (silica)
5.7 × 2.5 × 1 cm (measurements not including stand)
With its rough surface, dynamic form and translucent shades of green to black, tektite had scientists wondering about its origins for many decades. Superficially similar to obsidian, these mysterious objects inspired many scientific theories. Some of them even proposed that tektites were extra-terrestrial.
Today, the consensus is that they are a form of natural glass, formed from terrestrial debris ejected during large meteorite impacts. Through the extreme heat and pressure of the meteorite impact, the debris melted. These projectiles could sometimes fly for many hundreds of kilometres, which is why they are found at some distance from the actual crash site. So tektites are flown impact melts.
The tektite presented here is an excellent piece since these objects normally do not exceed measurements of one or two centimetres, and also because of its exquisite dark green colour, which is very rare.
Today, the consensus is that they are a form of natural glass, formed from terrestrial debris ejected during large meteorite impacts. Through the extreme heat and pressure of the meteorite impact, the debris melted. These projectiles could sometimes fly for many hundreds of kilometres, which is why they are found at some distance from the actual crash site. So tektites are flown impact melts.
The tektite presented here is an excellent piece since these objects normally do not exceed measurements of one or two centimetres, and also because of its exquisite dark green colour, which is very rare.
CHF 1 000 / 1 500 | (€ 1 030 / 1 550)