Springstone Leopard Sculpture

I have a rare Shona Tribe Springstone Leopard Sculpture available for sale. Pre-owned and in excellent condition. The sculpture is carved lying on a stone roaring. A beautiful rare piece of art from africa. Description: For nearly a thousand years, the shona have been hand sculpting stone into works of art although the craft is ancient, the style has evolved over time, and the sculptures created today are both beautiful and elegant the contemporary yet timeless shape of these sculptures adds opulence to the home and complements any decor. About the tribe: The shona ethnic group is indigenous to southern africa, primarily zimbabwe, but there are significant shona populations in south africa, botswana, zambia, and mozambique in zimbabwe, the shona people make up most of the population stone sculpture and mbira music have made them famous around the world (mbira: an instrument made of a hollow gourd with metal reeds that the player plucks) this tribe is believed to be responsible for the construction of several ancient stone wall sites in zimbabwe great zimbabwe, an 800 hectare city that flourished between the 11th and 15th centuries a d, was built on the physical foundation of these walls great zimbabwe, which is now a u n e s c o world heritage site was a center for trade, and archaeologists have discovered artifacts on site from as far away as china. About the stone: The springstone is one of the hardest in the serpentine family, having a high iron concentration and a fine texture it has a rich, softer reddish brown outer layer that sculptors use to give their sculptures a stunning two tone effect, adding to its appeal springstone is mined by hand in guruve, zimbabwe's north region it is a dark stone that can be polished to a high sheen because of its density when displayed in a light environment, the stone's dark color creates a striking contrast and gives pieces of this material a substantial weight and presence. Dimensions: Height - 20cm Width - 20cm Length - 46cm Weight - 20kg approximately Collection only, buyer's who are interested but are unable to collect will need to arrange their own shipping logistics and will be responsible for packaging and courier costs.