Michael Dreeben Bowls and Baskets

These hand-carved marble soap dishes are crafted by traditional artisans in Rajasthan State, India. Their shape derives from lily pads, and they drain excellently, sparing one's soap from getting soggy. Hand-made, so individual items may vary subtly from one to the next. Marble carving has been practiced in Rajastan since at least the 7th century. Marble was known as the 'royal stone' and carvers used it to construct tombs, palaces, and temples. The Taj Mahal is composed entirely of white marble. Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms when limestone is subjected to heat and pressure in the Earth. It is composed primarily of the mineral calcite (CaCO3) and often contains other minerals, such as mica, quartz, pyrite, iron oxide, and graphite. Marble is a rock resulting from metamorphism of sedimentary carbonate rocks, most commonly limestone or dolomite (rock). Metamorphism causes variable recrystallization of the original carbonate mineral grains. white marble is the result of metamorphism of a very pure (silicate-poor) limestone or dolomite protolith. DESIGNER Michael W...