This striking bowl was made from a piece of elm burl. Burls are fast-growing outgrowths on trees that sometimes result from the tree’s reaction to stress from insects, disease or environmental conditions. The burl pattern here runs through the whole piece, the inside and exterior of the bowl. It has a food-safe finish so could be used to serve nuts or crackers. It would also make a stunning accent piece, filled with a few acorns or pine cones.
Height: 2-1/8”
Top Diameter: 7”
Bottom Diameter: 3-5/8”
Dr. Les Viereck, of the Institute of Northern Forestry at Fairbanks, is investigating how the development of burls on trees may relate to the development of cancer in humans. There is enough similarity between the growth of burls on Alaskan spruce trees and the occurrence of some cancer in humans that the two could be different manifestations of the same phenomenon. Trees which develop burls often tend to be undergoing environmental stress. Trees near timberline or on north slopes where living is tougher are prone to burl growth. Smoking is a clear stressor to the human body which often leads to cancer. It’s hoped that the simpler structure of trees compared to animals might more quickly yield information on deviant growth processes that could then be applied to the understanding and control of human cancer.
This striking bowl was made from a piece of elm burl. Burls are fast-growing outgrowths on trees that sometimes result from the tree’s reaction to stress from insects, disease or environmental conditions. The burl pattern here runs through the whole piece, the inside and exterior of the bowl. It has a food-safe finish so could be used to serve nuts or crackers. It would also make a stunning accent piece, filled with a few acorns or pine cones.
Height: 2-1/8”
Top Diameter: 7”
Bottom Diameter: 3-5/8”
Dr. Les Viereck, of the Institute of Northern Forestry at Fairbanks, is investigating how the development of burls on trees may relate to the development of cancer in humans. There is enough similarity between the growth of burls on Alaskan spruce trees and the occurrence of some cancer in humans that the two could be different manifestations of the same phenomenon. Trees which develop burls often tend to be undergoing environmental stress. Trees near timberline or on north slopes where living is tougher are prone to burl growth. Smoking is a clear stressor to the human body which often leads to cancer. It’s hoped that the simpler structure of trees compared to animals might more quickly yield information on deviant growth processes that could then be applied to the understanding and control of human cancer.
