It’s intriguing to see inside a tree. I’m fascinated by the uneven outline of this cross-section – how it has what could loosely be described as a star shape.
The worth of an artwork is not so much tied up in its monetary value for me, but is more connected to how long you can look at it, enjoy it or think about it. I could look at this slice of tree for a long while.
This is a substantial piece, part of the bole of a mature tree. Deep fissures, cracks and lines cut across the uneven rings. The colours are natural and subtle, with a darker band running around the outside and several chestnut patches. If I’d been less taken with it, I might have thought about taking close ups so I could share the details.
Assuming the tree was not hacked down to create art, but a fallen tree was given new life as wall art (which I’m sure is the case), I love it. I can’t imagine it was easy to slice or to dry it without any warping.
I’ll be happy to credit the artist if anyone can identify who made it. It was hanging against a garden wall at Biedenharn Museum & Gardens in Monroe, Louisiana.
Susan Rushton 
Nice piece of art, Susan. It’s shape and origin make me think it is a slice of bald cypress (Taxodium) perhaps?
It would be a guess on my part, but Sam agrees with you (below).
I like that wiggly outline because organic shapes can be so inviting – nice capture
Thanks – the outline is what attracted me to it.
🙂
Beautiful slice.
I feel sure my Dad would have loved one like this.
That’s a great piece whose brothers and sisters I have seen elsewhere, but I can’t remember where – other than it was the UK. Wonderful!
They are a bit big for most domestic settings, but make great garden art for a sheltered spot. I saw something impressive on the wall at York Gate Garden and you’ve made me wonder if it was along these lines.
Maybe, though I’ve not seen that myself.
I did think of something going splat against the wall 🤔
A cartoon-style outline you mean? That image, once seen, can not be unseen.
Yes, cartoon style
I’m trying to imagine what the whole tree looked like and I can’t! It’s a splendid tribute to time, isn’t it? What a record is there. And so conscientiously kept in every season. It reminds me of the snow angels we used to make and we’d get snow down our necks — then we’d be wiggly too. I like your definition of the worth of an artwork: if it holds us, it’s valuable.
Eliza and Sam have suggested it is from a bald cypress tree. I think a lot of the lines being laid down here will record a slender ‘ring’ for this year’s growth after the summer’s drought. You’ve offered up a very sensory image with the snow angel necks. I imagine it made larger versions of the snow pebbles we used to get down our wellies.
Snow pebbles in wellies! Now if that isn’t the title of something, I don’t know what is!
‘Snow pebbles in wellies’ could be a missing line from ‘My Favourite Things’, perhaps?
Oh, excellent! I’ll take that over whiskers on kittens any day!
I like it, it’s very unusual. Reminds me of some sort of sea creature, maybe an exotic starfish.
It has many echoes, doesn’t it.
It has a really interesting shape. I see a star.
I like the way that everyone sees something slightly different.
Like you, Susan, I could look at this ‘slice of life’ for some time. Apart from the subtle colours and shapes, I was surprised to see the inner age rings are not circular like other tree trunks.
It surprised me too. The mature outline must already have been sketched out in the much younger tree.
These used to be a popular commodity among tourists here and farther north. Some of the redwood slices were centuries old. That is relatively young for a redwood, but impressive for tourists. Redwood burl furniture was a fad in the early 1970s. Back then, cars were big enough to accommodate such bulky purchases while on vacation.
I googled ‘redwood burl furniture’ and I see what you mean. I have seen those before – often in second-hand shops! They must have outlasted their place. I liked the way this piece had a very natural finish.
Yes, they were tacky, but very durable. The sculpture that you got the picture of, which is likely a slice of bald cypress, is more timeless.
I did think that there must be others, similar but not the same, from that fallen tree. Not such a bad ending, to be loved and admired.
Not bad at all. I imagine the workshop/studio where they were cut and finished would be an interesting place to look around.
And maybe place an order 🤔🩵
Dad rarely came away from the chance to buy wooden objects without something in his pocket, especially if they had a nice grain.
🤗🤎
It would absorb me, too
The tree version of a book, if we could only read it.