The first skull to be carved out of one of the rarest materials on Earth will be offered in Bonhams’ Lapidary Works of Art, Gemstones and Minerals auction on November 24 at Bonhams Los Angeles. A life-size model of a male skull and the world’s largest known meteorite carving, artist Lee Downey acid-etched the carving to uncover the Gibeon meteorite’s singular, lattice-like “Widmanstätten” pattern. Downey is notorious for selecting exotic materials with which to work and has become popular with celebrities such actor Johnny Depp, who has worn skull rings from Downey’s jewelry lines.
World’s Largest Known Meteorite Carving At Bonhams
Downey chose Gibeon meteorite because it “best embodies the ‘mystery'” of the human skull. Its track through time and space make it “the architecturally ‘perfect’ form for the brain vessel,” he said. Painstaking measurements were taken from an actual skull of a male to ensure realism and accuracy.
Named “Yorick“, the carving draws reference to the dead court jester whose skull triggers Hamlet’s monologue on mortality in Act 5, Scene I of William Shakespeare’s play. Historically, skulls have been associated with death, after-life, rebellion and carpe diem.
“Yorick” is also remarkable because it is flawless; polished meteorite typically features pits and cracks. The tridymite on the skull’s forehead – a silica polymorph and an exceptionally rare component in IVA irons – was a part of the Gibeon rock; its location was completely fortuitous.
Auction preview is scheduled for November 21 – 23, 2015.
World’s Largest Known Meteorite Carving At Bonhams
