Naturally occurring soapstone is a calcium carbonate, which is relatively soft stone. Over many generations the people of Kisii have learned to carve beautiful artifacts from the stone. Some are hand painted while others are left natural.
The soapstone must first be mined by hand in the local, open mines. Machinery is not used in this mining process and as a result, it can be a dangerous job--particularly in the rainy season. The stone is removed using hand held picks and the rocks are cut into smaller sizes using a saw. Then, the soapstone is carved using a hammer and a chisel. Sometimes a knife is employed at different stages of carving to produce a rough outline. The stone is then placed in water and sandpaper is used to smooth the chiseled stone. This is a long process as different grades of sandpaper are used until there are no chisel marks and the stone is completely smooth. Women often do the sanding. The stone is painted, often using a sponge to mix colors. Once the paint has dried, designs are hand-etched into the stone using a knife and a very steady hand--as no outline is drawn--revealing white soapstone underneath.
Soapstone is also is also known as Kisii stone because it comes from the Kisii highlands in the western part of Kenya near Lake Victoria. The main crops are tea and coffee but the Gusii tribesmen also create soapstone carvings. The main sources of the stone are found in Tabaka where large pieces are quarried out of the hills and then cut into smaller blocks for carving. First the shape is roughed out and then a knife is used to achieve the finished design which is then wet sanded and polished. The entire process is done with hand tools and no machinery is ever used. The colors vary from cream to lavender to almost black. The carvings are often dyed and then incised with a traditional image.
This is a beautifully handcrafted black smooth and shiny sculpture of abstract family figurines. The finishing is superb as you can see from the photos. This has been handmade in Kenya.
Dimensions: The sculpture stands about 8 inches high and the base is 3.75 inches diameter
