HAMADRYAD

This piece is a rare example of an uncommon phenomenon: the fully sealed knot.

Long ago, a branch failed to emerge cleanly through the cambium, leaving concealed buds trapped within the trunk. As they continued to develop beneath the bark, the surrounding wood responded by swelling and compressing around them.

Those hidden structures have now been revealed, with their original bark preserved beneath a layer of clear epoxy and surrounded by the intensely figured grain created by years of compression and irregular growth.

The scars on the exterior left by Emerald Ash Borers tell another part of this tree's story. What once concealed this unusual growth now serves as a reminder of the Black Ash trees that have been lost—and the importance of appreciating those that remain.