This vase is made from birch and it has tons of character. It has some spalting, some chatoyance, a crazy grain pattern and a couple of knots and a branch that was intentionally highlighted. It has warped and moved a little while drying but not a lot, just enough to make it interesting. The collar on the top is made from ambrosia maple which is lighter than the birch but I wanted some contrast and I felt that lighter was better than darker. It's 6 inches wide, 12 inches tall and has been finished with several coats of wipe on poly while buffing between coats.