Monticello Root Series
                                                                        Tulip Poplar "From the Root" Series


After the giant Tulip Poplar was taken down, the staff at Monticello did an archaelogical excavation under it to gather addition information on the history of the tree.  Several sections of a main root were isolated and taken out, and thoroughly cleaned.  After they were done with them Peter Hatch gave them to me,  and I turned two of the pieces in 2011.  The character of the wood was incredibly different from the main trunk, rather fibrous and light like a large grape vine might be, but still with a poplar nature. 

There was one section left which appeared to be rotten inside, which I set aside until htis year.  But I when I began to work with it I found it was actually quite dense.  In fact it went immediately from soft to quite hard and brittle, intensly black, with tool dulling mineral content here and there.....it was basically charcoal. 

Here is the whole series from that last root section.  Looking left to right, you can see the dark heart progress from wood-like to black charcoal. There are three main bowls, and then the cores. 

The set as a whole was offered at $2,150.   Now  SOLD.



                                                                                                                                Note:  white button above is full screen view.