By Bywell Sango in Green Opal stone. Sango is one of the leading Shona sculptors carving in Zimbabwe right now. The blocks of this piece are traditional to his abstracting style. He magnificently produces sharp lines using only a hammer and chisel. H: 25" W: 10" D: 4"

Shona stone sculpture from Zimbabwe, dating from 1956, is easily the best-known manifestation of southern African contemporary art. The sculpture’s credibility as serious sculpture, as opposed to “airport art” or “tourist art” produced during the same period within African countries, was enhanced by its early presence in public art museums, the Musee Rodin in Paris in 1971 and Musee d’ Arte Moderne in Paris in 1972. This 20th century art phenomenon continues to find its place in art galleries, museums, and private collections worldwide.

Zimbabwe is the only African country with large amounts of carvable stone. The stone was so important to the people of Zimbabwe that the word ‘Shona’ is derived from a word from their native language that means ‘house of stone.’ There is no technical artistic training in Shona sculpture. Sculpting skills are passed down through families and the large and hard stones are carved with only hammer and chisel and no modern power tools are used.

The color of each piece is the natural hue of the carved stone. The sculpture never fades or weathers even when placed outside. Additionally, each piece is carved from a single piece of stone with no joining elements. Because of these facts, Shona sculpture is the perfect addition to gardens, house entryways, and rooftops.

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