Indonesian Wood Small Bowl

Bark on the outside, black polish on the inside, and millions of years in between.

This small bowl is from Java, Indonesia. It is petrified wood. Petrified wood forms when buried timber is slowly replaced by minerals, which preserves the grain and texture of the tree in stone. Here the exterior keeps the rough look of a split log, in tan, cream and rust, with cracks and bark like ridges. The inside is hollowed out and polished to a dark, glossy bowl. The rim is uneven and follows the shape of the trunk. It is 13.25 inches wide, 11.5 deep and 6 high.

A tree that kept its shape and changed its mind about everything else.