Dimensions: H:32.3" W:16.5" L:5.5" Weight: 73.9 lbs.
Mother and Child - A mother and child lovingly embrace each other in this Shona sculpture carved from wonderstone. The family, love, life, and nature themes depicted in these sculptures are important values in Shona culture. For nearly a thousand years, the Shona have been hand sculpting stone into works of art. Although the craft is ancient, the style has evolved over time, and the sculptures created today are both beautiful and elegant. The contemporary yet timeless shape of these sculptures adds opulence to the home and complements any décor.
About the Tribe
The Shona ethnic group is indigenous to Southern Africa, primarily Zimbabwe, but there are significant Shona populations in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique. In Zimbabwe, the Shona people make up most of the population. Stone sculpture and mbira music have made them famous around the world (mbira: an instrument made of a hollow gourd with metal reeds that the player plucks). This tribe is believed to be responsible for the construction of several ancient stone wall sites in Zimbabwe. Great Zimbabwe, an 800-hectare city that flourished between the 11th and 15th centuries AD, was built on the physical foundation of these walls. Great Zimbabwe, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site was a center for trade, and archaeologists have discovered artifacts on site from as far away as China.
About the Stone
Pyrophyllite is commonly referred to as "Wonderstone." Its grey color comes from deposits in Ottosdal, South Africa, and it can have a variety of colors due to mineral inclusions from deposits in Brandberg, Namibia. This medium is only used by a few of artists. The stone's composition is compressed volcanic ash, which is inert and well-known for not being a conductor of heat or electricity. This stone has a lovely high gloss sheen after polishing and transforms from grey to black when wax is applied.