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All auctions / Ethnographical / High-Grade Afghan Lapis Lazuli with Intense Blue and...
Cube - Afghanistan — This specimen presents itself as a cube of remarkable size, carved and polished from a block of high-quality Lapis Lazuli coming from Afghanistan. The pure and perfect geometric shape of the cube highlights the complex and fascinating nature of this metamorphic rock, turning a fragment of geological history into a sculptural design object. The visual impact is immediate, captured by the deep and intense blue tone that has made this gem famous since ancient times. Looking at its mirror-polished faces, one can appreciate a true mineralogical universe. The dominant color is a deep, saturated ultramarine blue, typical of the finest lapis lazuli. This chromatic canvas is crossed by delicate veining and white calcite patches, creating an elegant and dynamic contrast. To further embellish the composition are countless inclusions of golden pyrite, sparkling like stars in a night sky, giving the stone a unique luminosity and an almost magical appearance. Lapis lazuli is not a single mineral, but a rock composed of a combination of different minerals. Its formation occurs through contact metamorphism on impure limestones. The intense blue color is due to the presence of lazurite, while calcite and pyrite are its most common companions. The Afghan provenance, particularly from Badakhshan Province, is the oldest and most renowned in the world, with deposits exploited for over 6,000 years. This stone has adorned the treasures of the pharaohs, such as Tutankhamun’s mask, and it was the source of the precious ultramarine pigment used by Renaissance masters. The choice of a cubic form gives this specimen a contemporary aura that dialogue splendidly with its ancient essence. It is a piece that sits perfectly in a modern Wunderkammer or in a Cabinet of Curiosities, where the wonder of nature is joined with the purity of geometric design. Its substantial size and considerable weight make it a presence object, capable of becoming the focal point of a library, of a professional study, or of a refined living space. More than just a worked mineral, it is a natural work of art, a bridge between geology and design that tells a millennia-old story.
Estimate:£1,187.9
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Estimate:
£1,187.9
OCT 17 | 10:00 PM
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