From Stump to Swoon: The decay of a wooden masterpiece
There's a question mark over whether a mystical masterpiece in one of the Isle of Man's glens will be replaced.
The Ballaglass Wizard was carved by Nick Barlow and Dave Rielly more than 10 years ago but has now crumbled away.
The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture says the sculpture was made with a tree stump that was still in the ground and, as with any untreated wood left in the ground, fungi began eating away at it - from the inside out in this case.
This could be seen externally by the fungi fruiting body on the sculpture in its later years.
DEFA says that due to the fungi decomposing the inner trunk first it was just a waiting game before it succumbed to gravity and at this stage it can't confirm if it will replaced or not.
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