XL Large Petrified Fossil Wood Carving 62KG

XL Large Madagascan Petrified Wood Face Carving

Hand Carved From Madagascar

Size : H 43 x 30 x 30 cm

Location : Madagascar

Weight : 62 KG approx.

This piece is one of several carvings we have available in this collection (the largest weighing 600kg.)

Petrified Wood : Petrified wood (from the Greek root petro meaning "rock" or "stone"; literally "wood turned into stone") is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. It is the result of a tree or tree-like plants having completely transitioned to stone by the process of permineralization. All the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (mostly a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the stem tissue. Unlike other types of fossils which are typically impressions or compressions, petrified wood is a three-dimensional representation of the original organic material. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment or volcanic ash and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen which inhibits aerobic decomposition. Mineral-laden water flowing through the covering material deposits minerals in the plant's cells; as the plant's lignin and cellulose decay, a stone mold forms in its place. The organic matter needs to become petrified before it decomposes completely.[ A forest where such material has petrified becomes known as a petrified forest.

Distinction ~ Excellence that sets someone or something apart from others