Jet Black Rattlesnake on Teak

Artist Lee Downey hand-carved this spectacular rattlesnake from a solid piece of Siberian Jet, fossil stone millions of years old. Supported on a Teak Base displayed with brass bullet shell casings surrounding its four supporting plinths, and Mokume-gane bullet tips and stars. (Mokume-gane is a Japanese metalworking procedure that produces a mixed-metal laminate with distinctive patterns that appear as natural wood grain.)

Jet is a member of the carbon family. A gemstone, it has been used in sculpture since at least 10,000 B.C. It has an organic origin, derived from high-pressure decomposition of wood from millions of years ago. The motto on the base reads DONTRE ADONME, a stylized version of the phrase “DON’T TREAD ON ME.”