I was given a similarly sized walnut burl several years ago. It had sat out for several years in a wood lot - those surface cracks may go deeper than it appears depending on where and how long its been sitting. I took a cut parallel to the flat side about 4” deep with a chainsaw, cut that into smaller turning blocks. The cap was turned into a 23” diameter bowl. At the time it was the largest thing I’d ever turned.
Initially pleased that I had demonstrated enough skill to get it done, it then sat in the shop for the next six years, not quite finished, being moved from place to place to make room. It began to look like a conquistador’s helmet to me and became a bit of an embarrassment as it slowly migrated to the bottom of the to-finish pile. Finally used it to practice carving on the rim and found that the result wasn’t quite as homely as I had begun to think of this piece. It just may turn into a form that can be displayed. It’s now destined to become wall sculpture rather than utility piece.
The moral of the story? Not sure there is one, but the smaller pieces of the burl became several boxes and a smaller bowl that were finished quickly...while this just took up room for years. Apologies for the poor photo - but its early Sunday morning and the coffee’s warm and inviting...and I just stuck this on the mantle last night.