Shona Chief


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 SHONA CHIEF Fine art sculpture/carving= Medium: Verdite
full description
Country:	Zimbabwe	Shona sculptures impress, stimulate, and inspire. An exquisite hand-carved over 5” tall f= ine art male Bust of a Shona Chief. Carved from rare (collectors’ grade) mottled green with negligible honey-colored streaks Verdite stone that is almost worked out (see below). The s= culptor paid incredible attention to detail from the feather headdress, facial features, clothing, and necklace that will not disappoint. The beautiful = art piece in proportion and to scale has a certificate of authenticity and origin. The bust will become a treasured family heirloom and increase rap= idly in value. Using machine and hand tools with sand paper to finish, the artist carved and initialed (LM) the exquisite piece. It comes with a notarized certificate of authenticity and valuation ($300.00). Peruse and scrutinize the superb artistry. Request more photograp= hs by email if needed. The sculpture is an outstanding example of the finer = art 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. No two sculptures, however similar in style, even by the same artist are the same; they are unique, original works of art. Similar Shona pieces of art sell for more than $300 in USA, EU, and Asian art galleries. W= e are able to offer them at moderate prices by contracting directly with the sculptor at fair trade prices. With the most basic of facilities and virtually no utilities to speak of other than raw muscle power and talent, the sculptor carves 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, cultural or Shona Stone Art 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 anyone. Suitable for any occa= sion 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 recipient 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 artists and sculptors, many art critics view Shona stone sculptors to be the worl= d’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). While= the early sculptures were influenced by a need to communicate social messages, nowadays a new type of art has emerged which thrives on aesthetic appeal. Such art is now found at many tourist destinations where it is made by artists desperate to earn a living amidst the harsh economic conditions present in Zimbabwe. Many early proponents and current adherents have no formal training in art and produce works that were inspired by their traditions and day-to-day experiences. 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 countri= es throughout the sub-continent. Research shows that Shona Stone art is not strictly= a traditional Shona Tribe art that was somehow dormant since the 15^{th<= /sup> 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 in 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.” Supposedly, 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 spirits trapped within. Consequently, the artists’ call the carvings ‘fine art’. The style conveys life-like renditions of Zimbabwe’s wild animals. Moses rightly prides himsel= f as an animal carver specializing in fine art leopards, crocodiles, and eleph= ants in the hard stones. He conceptualizes his talent as a gift from and guide= d by his ancestors. He, like many sculptors produce the same styles repetitive= ly once they find their niche. On direct commission from us, he produces man= y of our fine art animal sculptures. Medium (verdite): The stone sculptors of Zimbabwe use different types of rock. Serpentine is overwhelmingly the stone of choice. However, Verdite a semi-precious stone found only in Zimbabwe and South Africa aka, "Africa's Green Gold” i= s one of the favorites of carvers. A metamorphic rock, one of the oldest (if not the oldest) found on the planet, formed about the time that life was just beginning on Earth. These rocks yield evidence of conditions of life on t= he surface of the very early earth and the first life form (on earth). A bacterial microfossil Archaeosphe= roides barbertonis dated at about 3.2 billion years old discovered in the Nelspruit-Barberton region of South Africa. Verdite polishes and looks better than malachite or jade. One of the hardest stones to carve, with Mohs hardness between 7 and 9 depending on = the amount of corundum inclusions, makes it a challenging sculpting medium. O= nly the more experienced sculptor will dare sculpt from this hard stone. The = best quality deposit found in Zimbabwe is fast becoming worked out and thus ra= re and highly prized. Carvings from this stone will become increasingly more valuable. The stone’s color is unique in that it boasts an emerald looking quality with beautiful brown, yellow, and green striations. The beautiful= ly contrasting colors and the hardness of this semi-precious rock make if perfect for stone carvings.
Region:	Chitungwezi
Artist:	LM
Date:	2007
Type:	Sculpture
Original:	Stone Art
Medium:	Verdite
Local name:	Verdite
Style:	Fine Art Bust
Theme:	Shona Chief/Elder

Pictures:	WYSIWYG*

WE SH= IP WORLDWIDE
<= /o:p>
Actual Dimensions and Data
height x length x wi= dth
inches	5⅛ x 2⅜ x 2¾
millimeters	130 x 60 x 71
Weight [Mass]	17.9 oz [507 g]
Notarized Certificate of Authenticity
© Kwaze-Kwasa [US= A] Inc.
This is the description of the sculpture in our possession. Thus, data are accurate a= nd *what you see in the accompanying photographs is what you get. Satisfaction guaranteed! Should you be dissatisfied for any reason whatsoever, the pro= duct may be swapped for a similar or any other product of similar or lesser va= lue.
*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 grassroots 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