PETRIFIED WOOD ROUND. ...

Description

PETRIFIED WOOD ROUND
Araucarioxylon arizonicum
Triassic
Chinle Formation, Winslow, Arizona
Although the wood of Arizona's famous Petrified Forest is known as "Rainbow Wood", one finds occasionally a striking example such as this with an almost monochrome appearance. Shades of black, white, and gray perfectly delineate the original growth ring structure of the ancient conifer trunk, enlivened around the edges by areas of delicate red, blue, and mauve. In addition, whilst tree trunks come in various shapes and sizes in cross-section, the present example is unusual in being almost perfectly round, creating a striking object of entirely natural beauty. That beauty has been partially enhanced, of course, by a high-polish finish applied to one of the sliced faces, in great aesthetic contrast to the original rough bark texture that still rinds the circumference. A particularly fine and striking example of a highly collectible floral fossil, it measures approximately 30 x 26½ inches.

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