Items Similar to 'Father Christmas' original stone Shona sculpture by Marowa & Chideu
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 6
Tendai Marowa & Stanley Chideu'Father Christmas' original stone Shona sculpture by Marowa & Chideu2002
2002
About the Item
'Father Christmas,' an original springstone sculpture by the Zimbabwean artists Tendai Marowa and Stanley Chideu, would make an excellent holiday gift that can be displayed year-round. The sculpture presents a figure of an older man with a beard and a tall hat, both emblematic of Father Christmas himself. The figure is highly stylized in the manner of the Shona artists of Zimbabwe, with a round face with downcast eyes and square nose. The figure's beard is as well constructed of a series of parallel jagged lines, with a rough unpolished texture contrasting with the smooth polish of the face and body. As is so beloved of the Shona artists, the composition of the sculpture fits the shape of the stone as it was quarried from the earth, and areas of the surface retain its original texture.
springstone
12 x 4.5 x 7.5 inches, sculpture
1.25 x 4.25 x 11.25 inches, base
13.25 x 4.5 x 11.25 inches, overall
Overall good condition; some minor scattered scratches to surface; intentional rustication to base
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.
- Creator:Tendai Marowa & Stanley Chideu (Shona, Zimbabwean)
- Creation Year:2002
- Dimensions:Height: 13.25 in (33.66 cm)Width: 4.5 in (11.43 cm)Depth: 11.25 in (28.58 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Overall good condition; some minor scattered scratches to surface; intentional rustication to base.
- Gallery Location:Milwaukee, WI
- Reference Number:
About the Seller
4.9
Platinum Seller
These expertly vetted sellers are 1stDibs' most experienced sellers and are rated highest by our customers.
Established in 1966
1stDibs seller since 2017
393 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 2 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Milwaukee, WI
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
More From This SellerView All
- 'Coming From the Fields' original Shona stone sculpture by Colleen MadamombeBy Colleen MadamombeLocated in Milwaukee, WI'Coming From the Fields' is an original black serpentine sculpture by the celebrated second generation Shona artist Colleen Madamombe. The sculpture presents a character common to Ma...Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone
- 'Mother Elephant with Baby' original small sculpture, heirloom giftLocated in Milwaukee, WIThis small and intimate sculpture of a mother and infant elephant is a heartfelt and doting example of the sculpture of the Shona artists of Zimbabwe...Category
Late 20th Century Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone
- 'Stork Bird' original opal serpentine Shona sculpture signed by Jonathan NheteLocated in Milwaukee, WI'Stork Bird' is an original opal serpentine stone sculpture signed by the contemporary Zimbabwean artist Jonathan Nhete. The artist presents in this sculpture a highly abstracted fig...Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone
- 'Blooming Flower' original opal serpentine sculpture signed by Canaan NganduBy Canaan NganduLocated in Milwaukee, WI'Blooming Flower' is an original opal serpentine sculpture signed by the Zimbabwean artist Canaan Musiyiwa Ngandu. The sculpture presents an abstract floral figure in Ngandu's quinte...Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone
- 'Angel' original black stone Shona sculpture signed by Felix MlungisiBy Felix MlungisiLocated in Milwaukee, WI'Angel' is original black serpentine sculpture signed by the Zimbabwean artist Felix Mlungisi. In this work, the angel is stylized in the manner of the Shona s...Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone
- 'Scratching Bird' original Shona stone sculpture signed by Rangarirai MakundeBy Rangarirai MakundeLocated in Milwaukee, WI'Scratching Bird' is an original serpentine stone sculpture signed by the Zimbabwean artist Rangarirai Makunde. In the sculpture, a long-beaked bird, that might be a shoebill, sits l...Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone
You May Also Like
- Gallulus Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Male Figure Green Patina Marble StoneBy Wim van der KantLocated in Utrecht, NLGallulus Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Male Figure Green Patina Marble Stone Wim van der Kant (1949, Kampen) is a selftaught artist. Next to his busy profess...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nude Sculptures
MaterialsMarble, Bronze
- Bacio (Kiss) - hand carved Italian contemporary figurative rose marble sculptureBy Lorenzo VignoliLocated in San Francisco, CABacio (Kiss) by Lorenzo Vignoli striking hand carved marble sculpture of rare Portuguese rosa marble by contemporary Italian sculptor Lorenzo Vignoli, incorporating classical refere...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone, Marble, Carrara Marble
- Georgian Contemporary Sculpture by Erekle Tsuladze - Elvis PresleyLocated in Paris, IDFArtificial stone & nickel bronzeCategory
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone, Bronze
- Georgian Contemporary Sculpture by Erekle Tsuladze - Panda 1Located in Paris, IDFArtificial stone & nickel bronzeCategory
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone, Bronze
- Georgian Contemporary Sculpture by Erekle Tsuladze - Panda 2Located in Paris, IDFArtificial stone & nickel bronzeCategory
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone, Bronze
- Georgian Contemporary Sculpture by Erekle Tsuladze - ElephantLocated in Paris, IDFArtificial stone & stainless steelCategory
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsStone, Stainless Steel
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Sculptured Stone
Stone Sculpture Forms
Polished Green Stone
Black Stone Sculptures
Large Stone Sculpture
Face Sculpture Large
Formations Stone
Polished Stone Sculpture
Standing Stones
Green Stone Sculpture
Natural Raw Stones
Green Figure Sculpture
Black Sculpture Tall
Raw Wood Sculptures
Ancient Stone Sculptures
Large Round Large Sculpture
Round Large Sculpture
Stone Sculpture Chinese