Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

Unknown
'Elephant' original African Shona stone sculpture Zimbabwe

late 20th century

$775
£588.63
€677.03
CA$1,082.83
A$1,207.47
CHF 630.01
MX$14,816.17
NOK 8,019.01
SEK 7,597.84
DKK 5,052.96
Shipping
Retrieving quote...
The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation

About the Item

This small and intimate sculpture of an elephant is a heartfelt and doting example of the sculpture of the Shona artists of Zimbabwe, but also demonstrates the clever use of the texture of the stone. The sculpture is stylized, though more naturalistic than many of the sculptures of the Shona artists. The elephant leans backward and reaches its trunk into the air. The use of texture on its body is ingenious, using a series of crossing lines to create a rough surface that mimics the appearance of real elephant skin, adding a lifelike effect to the stationary stone. Unknown Shona artist 'Elephant,' late 20th century springstone 4.5 x 3.87 x 1.63 inches Overall excellent condition; some minor surface abrasions Shona artists and crafts people have been working in different media for generations. These include paintings, pottery, basket ware, wood carvings, and sculpture done in metal as well as the stone carvings. While there is not a long standing tradition of sculpture in what is now Zimbabwe (formerly Southern Rhodesia), stone carvings dating from the 15th century were seen in Great Zimbabwe, an excavated temple near Bulawayo. Most of the artifacts from this location have been moved to museums in Cape Town, South Africa or London. It is generally agreed that Zimbabwean stone sculpture as seen today began during the late colonial period of the 1950's and 1960's. During this period the artists and artisans depicted many of the traditional Shona and other tribal spiritual myths. Out of all the nations in Africa, the large varieties and abundant supplies of rock formations present throughout the Zimbabwe landscape provide artists with a medium for sculpture and carvings unique to their country. The Shona art sculpture of Zimbabwe combines the wonderful varieties presented by the stone with images drawn both from reality and abstract symbolism. Much of the stone used by Shona artists is quarried in areas which are adjacent or quite near the villages where the work is created. Often the land on which the stone is found is owned by the village or the local artists. The artists use stone such as Serpentine (somewhat old, having been formed about 2.6 billion years ago), with more than 200 color variations. The hardest and darkest of the Serpentine varieties is black, commonly known as Springstone or Africa stone. Less seen is Lepidolite, with its beautiful pale mauve coloration; and the very hard Verdite, found mostly in darker shades of green but with other variations as well. Commonly referred to as Rapoko stone in Zimbabwe, Steatite is a natural soft stone that falls under the general category of soapstone. Rapoko is found on every continent in the world with the possible exception of Antarctica. Its remarkable qualities have made this stone one of the most widely used minerals on earth. Over 10 million years old, Rapoko is a natural mineral, prized since ancient times for its durability, workability, beautiful character and ability to retain and radiate heat and resist chemicals. Native cultures, the world over, have carved Rapoko/Steatite into vessels, art objects, memorial and cultural items. Carved items have been found in the tombs of Pharaohs, in the igloos of the far north, in temples and palaces of China and India, in the mountains and river valleys of the Americas and the arid plains of Africa. There is a manmade ceramic product, also called Steatite, which uses the natural Rapoko stone as one of its raw materials but has no other connection to the skillful efforts of talented Shona and other African artists. The wonderful natural character of stone is used both in its rough cut and textured state, or heated and burnished to a high gloss to reveal rich greens, browns, blacks and grays. The hardness, shape, density and quantity used of serpentine, verdite, sandstone, granite, steatite and other stones define the ultimate presentation of completed Shona art sculptures and carvings.
  • Creation Year:
    late 20th century
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)Width: 3.87 in (9.83 cm)Depth: 1.63 in (4.15 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Overall excellent condition; some minor surface abrasions.
  • Gallery Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 13907g1stDibs: LU60537058152

More From This Seller

View All
Africa Female Artist Stone Sculpture Figure Celebrate Modern Contemporary Signed
By Colleen Madamombe
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Celebrations (C-56)" is an original black serpentine stone sculpture by Colleen Madamombe. The artist signed the piece, and it weighs 228 pounds. This piece features a woman with a ...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

'Bird' original stone Shona sculpture by Samuel Tichafa Masakwa
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Bird' is an original opal serpentine sculpture by the Zimbabwean artist Samuel Tichafa Masakwa. Trained in the Shona stone carving tradition, the artists here presents an elegantly abstracted water fowl: above the egg-shaped form of the body, the bird's long neck curls outward forming a loop. Such abstracted forms recall traditional African sculpture as well as the work of modern masters like Constantin Brancusi who looked to non-Western sources for inspiration. opal serpentine stone 31.5 x 12 x 11 inches not signed 140 lbs Overall good condition; some scratching Samuel Tichafa Masakwa was born in 1971 on the 15th of September, the first born of nine siblings. He was educated at Zengeza No. Five Primary School and later, Zengeza Four High School. Out of keen interest, he started sculpting at a tender age of fourteen. His cousins were accomplished sculptors, Nicholas Mukomberanwa and Albert Nathan Mambura whose brotherly love nurtured the interest in him to greater heights. During Samuel's school holidays, Albert Mamvura shaped his pending career as an artist by engaging him as his assistant. In 1991 he completed his 'O' levels and began sculpting full-time at Albert's workshop. As an apprentice he learned how to carve Shona abstracts, figures and heads. While he was working with Nicholas Mukomberanwa he had the chance to learn how to clean hidden angles on hard stones like springstone, cobalt, serpentine and the original green opal. In 1996 his cousins advised him to be independent in order to explore the new avenues he was bringing into the field. He discovered he did not have his own trade mark so he went to yet another accomplished artist, Joe Mutasa...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

'Grandmother' original signed Shona stone sculpture by Colleen Madamombe
By Colleen Madamombe
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Grandmother' is an original black serpentine sculpture by the celebrated second generation Shona artist Colleen Madamombe. The sculpture presents a character common to Madamombe's work: a woman with a round face and wearing a billowing, layered dress. Here, a woman leans on her cane, suggesting her old age. The imagery reminds of Madamombe's larger themes of womanhood, sisterhood, and matrilineage. As is so desired of her work, this sculpture is a play in texture: their faces and hands are polished and smooth, which is juxtaposed with the rough-hewn surfaces of the clothing and hair. black serpentine 28 x 15 x 10 inches Signed along the base on the reverse Acquired directly from the artist (C-51) Excellent condition with no chips or signs of wear Colleen Madamombe (1964–2009) was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. Considered to be among the finest new talents from Zimbabwe, she won the award of Best Female Artist of Zimbabwe three years in a row, and became an established figure of the Second Generation of Zimbabwean stone...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

"I Am Beautiful, " Original Opal Stone Sculpture signed by Savheri Chirwa
By Savheri Chirwa
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"I Am Beautiful" is an original opal stone sculpture by Savheri Chirwa, a contemporary Shona sculptor. This sculpture features an elongated face with textu...
Category

Early 2000s Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

'Protected by Spirits' original stone Shona sculpture by Marowa & Chideu
By Tendai Marowa & Stanley Chideu
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Protected by Spirits' is an original springstone sculpture by the Zimbabwean artists Tendai Marowa and Stanley Chideu. The sculpture presents a tall and curving face with a ring-sha...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

'African Queen' Shona stone sculpture signed by Chenjerai Chiripanyanga
By Chenjerai Chiripanyanga
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'African Queen' is an original opal serpentine stone sculpture signed by the contemporary Zimbabwean artist Chenjerai Chiripanyanga. The sculpture itself stands tall and proud like a...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

You May Also Like

'Elephant' Bronze Wildlife contemporary sculpture of an African Elephant. Brown
By Tobias Martin
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
'Elephant' by Tobias Martin is a Solid Bronze Animal Sculpture. Tobias Martin was born in 1972 in Wiltshire, 12 miles from Stonehenge. Influenced by his idyllic rural upbringing, an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

John Bernard Flannagan "Elephant" Whitney Museum Authorized Cast Stone
By John Flannagan
Located in Sharon, CT
A charming and totaling accurate (artist authorized) Whitney Museum of American Art 1940 cast stone reproduction of one of Flannagan's most well-kno...
Category

Antique 1830s American Art Deco Animal Sculptures

Materials

Cement

John Bernard Flannagan "Elephant" Whitney Museum Authorized Cast Stone
By John Flannagan
Located in Buffalo, NY
A charming and totaling accurate (artist authorized) Whitney Museum of American Art 1940 cast stone reproduction of one of Flannagan's most well-known sculptures. Art Deco, W.P.A. st...
Category

Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Animal Sculptures

Materials

Cement

Contemporary Wildlife Bronze Sculpture 'Baby Elephant' of small African elephant
By Tobias Martin
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
'Baby Elephant' by Tobias Martin is a Solid Bronze Animal Sculpture. Tobias Martin graduated currently lives and works in London. His work can b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Modern African Elephant Sculpture, Hot Cast Bronze, American, 21st C.
Located in Manhasset, NY
Modern African Elephant Sculpture, Hot Cast Bronze, American, 21st C. A signed, dated, and numbered limited edition tabletop sculpture titl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Animal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Elephant sculpture
Located in Knysna, ZA
Elephants are smart, emotional, self-aware, and highly social creatures. Elephants will walk at the pace of their slowest member, with infants sur...
Category

2010s Sculptures

Materials

Bronze