THE STONE &HOW IT IS WORKED
The stone use by Zimbabwean sculptors is unique in the world, in the range of colours that can be found in veins of rock that are literally next to one another in the earth: shades of avocado, pomegranate, granadilla, lemon, peach, plum, grape and mulberry
More than 250 ores and combinations of serpentines have been identified in Zimbabwe – making it the only African stone suitable for carving. The 2.5 billion-year-old Great Dyke, volcanic ridge running 310 miles through the country, is the longest mass of volcanic rock in the world. Heat and pressure applied over the years to this ancient rock mass, which is laced with a range of minerals, has created an extraordinary variety of colours and combinations of tone. The Nyanga Mountains, near the Mozambique, is also rich in stone carving, offering a distinctive range of multi-coloured serpentines that have earned the name Nyanga serpentine.
In addition to the serpentines, which range from 2.00 – 5.5 on the MOHs hardness scale, (1 is talc and 10 is a diamond) Zimbabwe also has much harder granites and green verdite, which approaches 9.00 on the Mohs scale. The hardest serpentine – springstone –has a fine texture and offers good resistance for sculpting. The raw stone is quarried with pickaxes, hammers and crowbars. Many of the mines are just small rocky outcrops which, in the more remote areas, are simply claimed by whoever discovers them. It’s not unusual to find sculptors carving in makeshift studios near a mine, where they have access to a variety of rock.
Some sculptors find the form of their inspiration in the layers and shape of the rock; others work with predetermined goals in mind. The artists’ use chasing hammers, chisels, rasps and finally sandpaper (from rough to very fine water papers) for finishing. They often make their tools themselves. The highly polished finish is achieved by heating the stone near a wood fire and then, when it’s very hot, a colourless wax is painted on those parts of the stone the artist wants polished. Once the stone has cooled, these areas are buffed with a cloth to bring out the enormous range of flecks, speckles and colours in the stone. The artists explain that polishing always holds elements of surprise for them. Although they can read the stone’s colour in its unpolished state, there are subtleties that are only apparent once the stone is waxed.
No power tools are used at any stage in the process. This is original, fine art created entirely by hand. The sculptors all work outdoors, creating and displaying their art in open-air studios. Sculpture parks are a favoured way of displaying work for sale and the country’s national galleries all have sculpture gardens or courtyards. This tradition of outdoor exhibitions for Shona sculpture has become very popular in many European countries, Australia and more recently in the U.S. These sculptures are suitable for both outside or indoors in everyone of our seasons.