This 17th century Tibeto-Chinese meteorite iron phurba made a hammer price of €140,000 over a top estimate of €30,000 at Sheppard’s Gentleman’s Library sale in Durrow today. The phurba is a peg or stake deeply rooted in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist traditions and used extensively in various rituals. It is believed to have transformative power. Often made of brass or iron, meteoric iron is particularly prized. The auction continues today and tomorrow.