Lot 7
North America, Southwestern United States, Arizona, Late Triassic, ca. 225 million years ago. This is a spectacular slab of fossilized or petrified wood, cut from a tree trunk and sliced crossways, then highly polished on one of the planar sides to showcase the broad interior rings of the tree. While fascinating for the aging and fossilization process this is also a beautiful example with vibrant hues that formed from the quartz and agate structures! The exterior bark is fossilized, replaced by rough stone, while the smooth interior features incredible mesmerizing colors that are dominated by warm hues of orange, maroon, and yellow ochre closer to the outer rings, with creamy white, gray-blue, lilac and pink, swirls and striations towards the center - reminiscent of a sun burst! The photos are nice but when seen in person the hues truly come to life, and the polished surface is pleasantly tactile. This is a stunning piece to display, or to use as a coffee table with a sturdy base added. Size: 19" Diameter x 1.125" W (48.3 cm x 2.9 cm)
Fossilized trees from this time period come from the Chinle Formation of the southwestern USA, and the beautiful colors found in this formation - exemplified by the colors of this fossilized tree - give the Painted Desert of Arizona its name. Due to plate tectonics, this area was near the equator on the supercontinent Pangaea during the Late Triassic, which gave it a humid, sub-tropical climate. It was a floodplain below mountains to its south and a sea to its west; as a result, massive trees washed down from the mountains and came to rest in sediments that preserved them and fossilized them. The petrification process involves the rapid burial of the tree or pieces under sediment which prevents the usual decay. Flooding and volcanic activity are usually responsible for creating the layers of sand, silt, and ash needed to create the right types and amount of sediment. Mineralized water can then permeate through the wood, coating cell walls and filling the intercellular cavities which then fossilizes into stone. The detailed preservation of the wood, including knots, rings, and bark, are possible because the organic wood molecules become coated and surrounded with smaller silica molecules. Nine different species of tree have been identified in the fossilized deposits in the region; this example may be Araucarioxylon arizonicum, an extinct conifer tree (and the state fossil of Arizona). Fascinatingly, the Ancestral Puebloan people who lived in the region approximately 1000 years ago used petrified wood for making tools and even building houses!
Provenance: private Berthoud, Colorado, USA collection
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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#168934
- Condition: Professionally prepared and polished. One planar face is covered with a clear fixative coating on the surface. The other face is covered in protective sealant and the interior rings are not visible. Amazing coloration throughout.
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