Meteorites are more coveted in Japan than any other country, and especially so for Japanese meteorites, which have often been conferred with a sacred status. The addition of meteoritic iron sanctified the hilts of Samurai swords, a substantial fraction of Japanese falls are preserved in shrines while a similar number are forever maintained “in the possession of the finder” and their descendants. A single stone fell in Kesen on June 13, 1850; it was moved to the Imperial Household Museum and then the National Museum of Nature and Science where the main mass is still seen today. This rectangular specimen displays a rich, variegated grey-brown matrix with flecks of iron throughout. A small patch of fusion crust is seen on the uncut surface. Accompanied by a Langheinrich catalog card, there are not many Japanese meteorites available to the collecting community and this is one such exception.

41 x 20 x 4mm (1.66 x 0.75 x 0.1 in.) and 13.63 grams.

Provenance: American Museum of Natural History, NYC

RA Langheinrich Meteorite Collection, NY

Estimate: $1,000 – 1,500 * Reserve: $750