Ballarat Marble Figure
Dark streaks in the marble matrix come from iron and nickel deposits which came from meteor and/or asteroid strikes, that took place eons ago on our planet. Iron and nickel are the final phases of a supernova, so the metallic parts of this piece of stone must have originated somewhere long ago and far away. Ballarat, CA, a ghost town in the upper Mojave, was named for a town in Australia. Mining was the mainstay of both communities, and “Ballarat” marble is found in the mountain range behind the town. The base is basalt from Washington, state, and the combination of the two suggests an avian figure, very much at home on a mountain peak. All components turn.
California Ballarat Marble
Washington Basalt
19¾ x 11½”
55 lbs