We currently stock four unique petrified wood tile products created to our specification; Fossil Stick 12×12 for wall or floor, Fossil Square Mosaic 12×12 and Fossil Stick 8×16 for walls and Fossil Mosaic 12×12 for floor applications. The recent fireplace installation shown here is our Fossil Stick 8×16. These handcrafted tiles are comprised of tumbled petrified wood stick pieces 2 cm wide by varying lengths and thicknesses tightly aligned on black mesh with a seamless interlocking pattern providing a variegation of prehistoric warm brown and black wood tones. This product is applied without a grout finish. Thank you to our client in California for sharing this photo.
Fossil Tile Fireplace
Ring of Fire ~ An Indonesian Odyssey
Another pleasing result for eight new friends we had the pleasure of entertaining who generously supported Centrum by purchasing our sponsored event during the live auction at the annual fundraising gala. The auction offering was listed and played out delightfully as follows:
“Your journey takes place at JOGLO and begins with invigorating Lychee martinis while you acquaint yourselves with the cultural ambiance and art of the Indonesian archipelago. Traditional Balinese and Javanese dishes paired with wine will excite your tastebuds from hors d’oeuvres to dessert including a special fire sampling of “sambals” to excite any meal for the uninitiated. As you mingle and dine, visually experience the odyssey of the Blair Brothers as they travel throughout Indonesia in the late 70’s followed by a more recent synopsis of Joglo’s journey to share the archipelago’s diversity in downtown Port Townsend. For eight people on a mutually agreeable date. Donated By: Joglo and The Savory Table / Wicked Cellars”
Garden Sanctuaries
August 2012 Gallery
Presenting distinctive finds of natural materials comprising The Five Elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water to inspire your private sanctuary indoors or out…
Carved Stone Water Goddess
A special gift for the creation of a sanctuary garden in Port Townsend finds a colorful resting place for this Hand Carved Stone Water Goddess relief from Bali. Thanks to these two very artistic and inspiring friends for sharing their installation with us.
Balinese Master In Connecticut
This is a follow-up piece to phase one of a project that we posted in 2011. The overall project was completed this spring with the arrival of a custom solid teak platform drawer bed with matching night stands and a complimentary master desk cabinet and chair design we had produced in Bali. Our clients provided specifications and instructions to emulate the same material and design as master bath vanities and trim we had produced for phase one and the results clearly met expectations.
Once again, special thanks go out to our clients turned friends Cindy and Larry for not only having a great eye for design but being so generous with their expression of gratitude. Cheers to you!
Joglo Kitchen
In early May we completed the installation of a custom kitchen design for showroom and gallery events and entertaining. Our counter area cabinetry and refrigerator enclosure is solid teak with a teak oil finish produced to our specifications in Bali.
The sink is handcarved andesite “hijau” or green stone from East Java as are the four-inch square border and backsplash tiles done in both green “hijau” and polished black “hitam polis”. The accent stone within the border tile on the counter is our sliced pebble ”pence” or five-color tile and the vintage faucet was a found item at one of our favorite stops in Seattle – Second Use.
65 Million Year-Old Art :: Design Elements
May 2012 Gallery
Objet d’art :: Sink Vessels :: Floor and Wall Tile
65 to 180 Million Year Old Art :: Javanese Petrified Wood
In late Tertiary (Pliocene) times, the region experienced near-perfect conditions for the creation of petrified wood. Until man’s intervention, the region was blanketed by thick tropical rainforest so there was plenty of wood to start with. These forests often develop on the flanks of volcanoes that occur along the “spine” of the country from Sumatra in the northwest toBaliand beyond in the southeast. It is this close proximity of forests to volcanic activity that was so conducive to preservation of the wood.
Periodically the various volcanoes erupted in much the same way as didMount St. Helensin 1980. Trees were blown down by the force of the eruption and encased in scorching volcanic ashes. If the trees were too close to the volcano, they were simply incinerated. Too far away, and the trees were not totally covered by the volcanic ash and with time they consequently rotted away in the normal way. However, in the middle of these two extremes, the trees were buried by thick ash which was so hot that it effectively sterilized the trees, destroying all the microbes that normally cause wood to rot.
The volcanic ash has another important function in the generation of petrified wood. It is rich in silica minerals, and the fluids percolating through the ash would also have been saturated with these minerals. The fluids seeping through the ash slowly dissolved the original organic matter of the tree, atom by atom, and replaced it with various silica-rich minerals such as quartz, chalcedony, and jasper. The preservation is so fine that in places you can see the cell structure of the original wood.
The beautiful and varied colors come from trace elements that are dissolved in the silica. Traces of iron, for instance, impart the shades of brown and amber, while manganese oxides produce the blacks and blues. Growth rings are less well developed relative to deciduous trees due to the lack of seasons in a tropical climate, while the large cell structures reflect the moist conditions in which the tree originally grew.
