Lot 707
Pharoah Tutankhamun Style Scarab Made From Libyan Desert Glass Plus Large Libyan Desert Glass Nugget. When Howard Carter discovered King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, one of the precious metal amulets had a scarab carved out of a green colored glass that was clearly special as it was the center stone in the amulet. It turned out to be a piece of Libyan Desert Glass and was dated at 28 million years old. Libyan Desert Glass actually is a tektite of almost pure silica which formed 28 million years ago when a large meteorite exploded over the desert vaporizing itself and a lot of the sand at temperatures in excess of 3000 degrees. The molten sand quickly cooled and fell back to earth in a variety of shapes as pale yellow to yellow-green glass. These gemstones of the desert were highly valued by the ancient Egyptians and they continue to be so today. Libyan Desert Glass is only found in one section of the Great Sand Sea between Libya and Egypt and the likely meteorite crater named Kebira over 19 miles in diameter was found near the Libya-Egypt border. This lot contains a 1.25 inch long Egyptian style scarab with the eye of Rah carved on its back that is similar in style and size to the one in King Tut's amulet plus a very large 3x2 inch 132 gram premium pale green nugget of Libyan Desert Glass with a meteorite-like surface of craters and scoops. A smaller 125 gram piece of Libyan Desert Glass sold for $6,000 in a 2007 New York auction. Both specimens are housed in a 8x6 inch Ryker Mount. Estimate Value $500 - UP
|
| |
| Realized $313 |
