Arizona Triassic Petrified / Fossilized Wood Slab
Ca. 225 million years old. North America, Southwestern United States, Arizona, Holbrook, Chinle Formation, Late Triassic, ca. 225 million years ago. A slab of fossilized wood the petrified tree trunk is sliced crossways and polished to a mirror finish on one of the planar faces to showcase the broad interior rings of the tree as well as the incredible coloration. The once organic material has fossilized, replaced by rough stone, while the smooth interior features incredible, colorful quartz, and agate. While this is a fabulous display piece, prepared petrified wood slabs can even be lightly used as a table coaster or mounted as a tabletop! Size: Size: 23.5" L x 1" W (59.7 cm x 2.5 cm) Size: 23.5" L x 1" W (59.7 cm L x 2.5 cm W).
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 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 Constance McCormick Fearing estate, Montecito, California, USA, acquired before 2004
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #188863
Condition
Several natural holes that extend completely through the slab as shown. Professionally cut and polished. Reverse face is covered in protective sealant. Minor surface chips and abrasions to exterior bark diameter.
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Ca. 225 million years old. North America, Southwestern United States, Arizona, Holbrook, Chinle Formation, Late Triassic, ca. 225 million years ago. A slab of fossilized wood the petrified tree trunk is sliced crossways and polished to a mirror finish on one of the planar faces to showcase the broad interior rings of the tree as well as the incredible coloration. The once organic material has fossilized, replaced by rough stone, while the smooth interior features incredible, colorful quartz, and agate. While this is a fabulous display piece, prepared petrified wood slabs can even be lightly used as a table coaster or mounted as a tabletop! Size: Size: 23.5" L x 1" W (59.7 cm x 2.5 cm) Size: 23.5" L x 1" W (59.7 cm L x 2.5 cm W).
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 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 Constance McCormick Fearing estate, Montecito, California, USA, acquired before 2004
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #188863
Condition
Several natural holes that extend completely through the slab as shown. Professionally cut and polished. Reverse face is covered in protective sealant. Minor surface chips and abrasions to exterior bark diameter.
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
