Hand-carved from a single piece of Kisii soapstone by African artisans, these circle carvings are a reminder that we are all creatures of this great earth - interconnected in ways beyond understanding.

African Soapstone is among the most beautiful in the world. Mined by hand from surface mines, large stones are pulled by a team of workers, cleaved into smaller pieces and worked into stunning art and functional objects.

• Rainbow design has been hand-painted. Others styles are natural stone, with colors ranging from white to pink to grey to brown to earthy gold.
• Soapstone is Earth's softest mineral, making it ideal for carving. Handle with care to avoid breakage.
• Dimensions: 3 inches tall by 3 inches wide and 3 inches in diameter.

Product Features:

• Country: Kenya
• Material: Soapstone
• Season or Holiday: All Seasons
• Exact Color: Natural or Handpainted Rainbow

Story Behind the Art:
SMOLArt is a group of artists who live in the rural village of Tabaka, Kenya, the heart of soapstone crafts. The name, a shortened version of Small, Medium, and Large Artists, refers to the size of the products the artisans make, not their stature. Established in 1990, SMOLArt is a member of WFTO, the World Fair Trade Association, and as such assures that the artisans are paid a fair price for their work. In addition, the organization support community development by contributing to projects that improve living conditions, education, and health of their members and the village at large. Soapstone is mined from great pits in the area surrounding Kiisi, Kenya. The mined stone is then delivered to carvers who carve sculptures from the natural stone, the color of which ranges from cream, to pink, to brown, to yellow, to black, to a marbling of all of them. Once carved, the craftspeople smooth rough edges with sandpaper dipped in water and polish the piece to a high gloss or paint African motifs in brilliant colors with etched accents. All of the products are completely handmade. The tools consist of household items from screwdrivers, hand drills, to switchblades. 'Pangas,' sword-like tools usually used for cutting down vegetation, are used to cleave the stone in the mines.

The handcrafted touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen.

Imported