Blog

BIG MANGO TRADING CO.

Blog

From a generous spirit, a Dallas park is born

Posted on Tags , , ,

The overflowing landscape of Dragon Park must certainly cause some rubbernecking by passers-by. Sprouting out of the surrounding pavement, this little parcel of land at the corner of Hood and Cedar Springs has been transformed into a contemplator’s dream. Those who stop and stroll through the public garden are rewarded with whimsical figures and restful nooks, all worked into the landscape magically to create a glimpse of what a fairy tale might look like. In this fairy tale, the generous man behind Select Salon, Mark Maham, and his business partner, graciously lent to the Dallas community a piece of land and all of its treasures, if for no other reason than to share their vision of beauty with us. In this case, a fairy tale has come true…

dragonpark-1sep2010-1
Sign
dragonpark-1sep2010-2
Hood Street Entrance
dragonpark-1sep2010-3
Cedar Springs entrance
dragonpark-1sep2010-4
Petrified Wood Sculpture from Big Mango
dragonpark-1sep2010-5
Friendly gargoyle from Big Mango
dragonpark-1sep2010-6
Woman in Bronze
dragonpark-1sep2010-7
Angel under a pergola
dragonpark-1sep2010-8
Stone Pond from Big Mango
dragonpark-1sep2010-9
Petrified Wood Sculpture from Big Mango

So, what’s the deal with the petrified wood?

Posted on Tags

petrified-16jul2010-1We get so many questions about the petrified wood pieces that we carry, and rightly so. Outside of the Petrified Forest, large chunks of petrified wood are not commonly seen. We happen to have a very nice collection of pieces of all sizes, up to 7′ tall and weighing who knows how many tons.

Where are our pieces from?

Our pieces come from Southeast Asia. And while they’re considered young in petrified wood years, the average age is still a very respectable 63 to 1.8 Million years old.

petrified-16jul2010-2

What kind of trees are (were) they?

During the petrifying process, every atom of the tree is replaced with occurring elements in the ground at that time. So, identifying a tree’s species after it has essentially turned to stone is very difficult.

Why do the colors vary?

The color is determined by the specific minerals and elements that have replaced the tree’s composition during petrification. Common minerals in the region are quartz, chalcedony and jasper. Iron affects petrified wood with brown and amber tones, while manganese infused woods are black and/or grey.

petrified-16jul2010-3

What do you do with petrified wood?

Petrified wood is not only a sought after collector’s item, but it’s functional, too. Of course, the massive pieces are magical as sculpture, and our vendor is very skilled at polishing the pieces to accentuate their beauty. Smaller, more symmetrical pieces lend themselves to be used as end tables, stools, garden tables and nightstands. Any piece can be drilled and set up to be a stunning water feature, which is a sophisticated trend in landscaping now.

Can I get a piece made to order?

Obviously, petrified wood is nature’s craft, but we can arrange to have a piece cut to specific dimensions, and polished to order.

Slag glass for the color obsessed

Posted on Tags , ,

We offer you slag glass. Although it is just the byproduct from glass production or recycling, it looks exotic and and brightens any landscape like a vibrant rainbow.

slagglass-22jul2010-1
Blue and green ‘jewels’ at Big Mango
slagglass-22jul2010-2
Yellow glass at Big Mango
slagglass-22jul2010-3
A rainbow of colors at Big Mango

You may have noticed it in applications around town and elsewhere. But in case you haven’t, we’ll share a few more photos.

slagglass-22jul2010-4
Slag glass art installation. Abacus restaurant in Dallas, TX
slagglass-22jul2010-5
Slag glass art installation. Valencia, Spain
slagglass-22jul2010-6
Slag glass fireplace centerpiece. Courtesy of Dwell with Dignity, dwellwdignity.blogspot.com

You don’t need a pot of gold to have a rainbow of your own. We offer all of the colors shown here and more for a mere $2.25 a pound.