Is this figuring in the wood from being quarter sawn or just mother nature showing off? It almost has a hologram effect, as you walk around it the figuring changes colors or completely goes away depending on the light hitting it.
The center board of that glue up looks like it is a slab through the middle of the log. So the black is the pith and thus the area just on each side is quarter sawn. At least looks that way to me.