Indonesian Stone Fossilized Shell

A perfect spiral, as if somebody coiled a rope of stone and left it to set.

This fossilized shell comes from Sulawesi, Indonesia, and is stone. Sulawesi sits on rock that was once ocean floor, and fossil shells from the islands of Indonesia are a reminder of how much of the land was once sea. Here a pale grey coil winds inward in rounded steps to a tiny center. The stone is rough and porous, with small cracks and pits across the surface. It is held on a black metal stand. It is 6.5 inches wide and 6.5 high.

Every curve leads inward, which is very much the point.