Leopard


BY PURCHASING THIS ITEM <= /b>*YOU* PROVIDE EMPLOYMEN= T FOR IMPOVERISHED SUB-SAHARAN COMMUNITIES AND *CONTRIBUTE* TO NGO GRASSROOTS = AIDS ORPHAN PROGRAMS

This item is purchased by = donating<= /a> to the fundraising programs of o= ur non-profit. The price is the min= imum donation for you to receive = ONE (1) original hand-carved:
Fair Trade African Stone Art Silhouette Leopard Medium: Springstone
full description
Country:	Zimbabwe	Shona sculptures impress, stimulate, and inspire. The exquisite piece meant to be viewed as a silhouette, modeled aft= er a ‘leopard on the prowl, has subtle detail that includes mouth, eyes, nostr= ils, facial hair, skin spots, toes, and tail. Edias S. Tafadzwa currently of Chitungwezi, Harare carved these over 3” long v= ery dark green almost black speckled black gems from a solid piece or raw spr= ingstone; skillfully capturing and enshrining= the leopard. Pieces of this size and quality are very difficult to find at such reasonable prices. Using machine and hand tools only with sand paper to finish, the Edias created and produced a beautifu= l, very life-like animal sculpture, realistic in shape and anatomically proportio= ned. Peruse and scrutinize the superb artistry and attention to detail. Listing photograph is generic but very representative; request more photographs by email if needed. The sculpture is an outstanding example of the styles and designs, so highly prized by these talented African artists. Valued by collectors worldwide, this piece makes a great gift that anyone would be = proud to own. Edias, a senior apprentice at a car= ving co-operative in Chitungwezi on the outskirts of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, pictured with an elephant before finishing and polishing.= No two sculptures, however similar in style, even by the same artist are the sam= e; they are unique, original works of art. Similar Shona pieces of art sell for more than $75 in USA,= EU, and Asian art galleries. We ar= e able to offer them at moderate prices by contracting directly with the sculpto= r at fair trade prices. With the most basic of facilities and very sporadic and intermittent utilities, Edias and his team manage to carve these magnific= ent sculptures literally in the African bush in the hot sun. Décor uses:* The piece shows great as a standalone work of art or in a collection. A delightful addition to any African, cat, wildcat, or leopard collection or theme and décor at home and the office. Start or add to your Shona stone art collec= tion that visitors will notice and admire your good taste in art. Before too l= ong, you will be in stimulating conversations about the art and your talent as= a collector. You can tell them how you found the beautiful sculpture suppor= ting the unemployed and AIDS-impacted communities in Africa at Kwaze-Kwasa [US= A] Inc. Gift: the sculpture doubt makes an excellent gift for cat-lovers. Suitable for any occasion = or celebration and an easy and smart choice for that ‘hard-to-buy for’ or ‘who-has-everything’ person. Print this page to accompany the gift. The r= ecipient will be thrilled to know the gift they received came to them by you generously supporting a good cause. Care: Wipe with damp cloth. Should you scratch or damage = it, relax and see how easy it is to restore to pristine condition by following our simple and effective repair guide! Shona Stone Art: Admired by Picasso and many other artist= s and sculptors, many art critics view Shona stone sculptors to be the world’s greatest rock artists and sculptors of the current era. Some consider them amongst the all time greats, we do! More Shona Stone Art product information. Stone sculpting in Zimbabwe (‘the place of stone’) dates back to between the 12= ^th and 15^th century. The style of stone sculpturing known as Shona stone art, however, evolved in modern times (circa 1950 and 1960s). Many early proponents and current adherents are not necessarily from one of the many Shona tribes in Zimbabwe and northern Mozambique who predominate as practitioners of the art. Some are from different tribes within Zimbabwe = and others from neighboring countries throughout the sub-continent. Research shows that Shona Stone a= rt is not strictly a traditional Shona Tribe art that was somehow dormant si= nce the 15^th century but rather a unique contemporary African stone art. Rich in Shona culture and heritage the style shows influences from western art, tourist and art market demands, current events, and life in general. This does not detract from the artwork as artists ably express i= n stone their interpretations of life drawing on their natural talent.= The artists’, however, like to say that they broadly follow a basic tenant of the Shona people that is "live together and the culture will thrive.” Supposed= ly, the spirits of their ancestors come to them in their dreams, revealing the images that dwell within the rock. After quarrying the rock, with pickax = and pry bar, the sculptors’ use handmade and power tools to release the spiri= ts trapped within. Consequently, t= he artists’ call the carvings ‘silhouettes’. The style is meant to convey a shadow outline and allow the beholders imagination to fill in the details= . Edias rightly prides himself as an animal carver specializing in fine art eleph= ants. He conceptualizes his talent as a gift from and guided by his ancestors. = He, like many sculptors produce the same styles repetitively once they find t= heir niche. On direct commission from us, he produces many of our fine art ani= mal sculptures. Medium (springstone): takes its na= me from the fact that the hand tools used to carve it tend to “spring” or bo= unce off the stone without even marking it. The sculpture without a doubt make= s an excellent gift for the collector or anyone including that hard-to-buy for person irrespective of the occasion. The stone sculptors of Zimbabwe use different types of rock. Serpentine is overwhelmingly the stone of choice= . However, spring stone, an intensely hard rock serpentine, and carries greater prestige, particularly among the more prominent artists. Springstone is o= ne of the hardest stones used for sculpturing in Zimbabwe. There are a few places where this rock-type occurs such as Guruve, in the north, where it= is mined. A beautiful dark stone, it polishes to a high shine because of its density. A feature of this stone is often, it will have a softer brown la= yer, which adds to the appeal. As with most other stones mined for sculpturing, this stone was obtained by hand on communal lands.
Region:	Chitungwezi
Artist:	Edias S. Tafadzwa
Date:	2007
Type:	Sculpture
Original:	Stone Art
Medium:	Dunite
Local name:	Springstone
Style:	Silhouette
Theme:	Leopard

Pictures:	Generic*

WE SH= IP WORLDWIDE
<= /o:p>
Nominal Dimensions and Data
height x width x depth (variance)=
inches	1¾ x 3½ x ¾ (+½)
millimeters	45 x 90 x 20 (+12)
Weight [Mass]	3.0 (+½) oz [96 (+12) g]

© Kwaze-Kwasa [US= A] Inc.
This is a general description of the artwork in our possession. Thus, data are approximate, even though there could be slight variations in size, form, = and shape from the accompanying photographs, the leopard you receive will be a very close match to the generic photographs. Satisfaction guaranteed! Sho= uld you be dissatisfied for any reason whatsoever, the product may be swapped= for a similar or any other product of similar or lesser value.
*Our = Zimbabwe team, like most Zimbabweans, have a difficult life with chronic food shortages, hyperinflation (the world’s worst in modern times), rampant and universal unemployment, and now tragically victims of the current politic= al unrest.
Your generous donation helps us provide sustainable employment to the impoverished communities and funding to their grassroot= s AIDS orphan programs<= /a>.

BY PURCHASING THIS ITEM <= /b>*YOU* PROVIDE EMPLOYMEN= T FOR IMPOVERISHED SUB-SAHARAN COMMUNITIES AND *CONTRIBUTE* TO NGO GRASSROOTS AIDS ORPHAN PROGRAMS