Stone Duck Eswatini Swaziland

The picture is an example. yours will be similar. Stone color and shape will vary, slightly.

Soapstone duck hand carved and painted in Swaziland. The abstract shape and detail of the duck with minimum detail is very imaginative and common for Swazi carvers The artist etched feather patterns, eyes, and beak after polishing and dyeing the stone. The African bird carving is unique in that no two are the same however the design is by the same artist.

The bird starts out as raw soapstone quarried in the Pigg's Peak region of NW Swaziland. The soapstone varies in color from light brown (the easiest to carve) through various shades of brown and green to dark green (the most difficult to carve). The stone is rough cut and then shaped by the artist. The finished product's abstract shape, colors, and detail are very imaginative and unique to these Swazi artists. The unusual and original example of African talent and art is unique in that no two are the same, however, similar the style and size. Being handcrafted from natural materials some minor imperfections may be anticipated that add rather than detract from the beauty of the carving.

Patience, a single mother with little formal education was born in Swaziland. She travels regularly between Soweto and her home selling handicrafts, especially dolls, to support her family and orphaned younger brothers. She also contracts with others in her community, mainly grandmothers, single women, and young girls in their care to produce these wonderful birds and other handicrafts to her designs. Grandmas (affectionately called Gogo in Tswana and in wide usage) are the backbone of African society (and often the sole breadwinner). They play an even greater role in the AIDS pandemic by raising, caring for, and nurturing a generation of orphans (not always family-related) and the many ill adults.

3 H x 3.75 length inches, approximately.

135896