Page 40 - Zimbabwe Stone Sculpure 1st Edition

ZIMBABWE STONE SCULPTURE
“I have to think about how to make the stone talk as each and every stone has its own shape. It takes much time, not in the form of labour but in the creation.”
– ZACHARIAH NJOBO
After paying for the stone the next big expense is transferring it to their workplace. The trucks are big seven tonne vehicles so, to make it worthwhile, at least six tonnes of stone need to be purchased. Other strong young men are needed to help collect and load the stones on the trucks. As the mines are fairly remote and the facilities very basic, the cost of transporting the stone is high. Finally the stone is delivered and has to be offloaded; the artist now has his raw material.
To carve the stone, most artists use charcoal or chalk to outline the shape of the sculpture the artist has decided to create. The shape of stone they are using can also determine this. The hard work begins with carving the stone using chasing hammers and chisels to get the desired shape. Rasps and files are used to smooth the stone and this is finished off with sandpaper. This technique requires a great deal of skill and this is when an experienced eye can see a fake by its finish, which should be of an exceptionally high quality. Fake work seldom has the smoothness and shine of the genuine article. The final part of the process is polishing the sculpture. Heating the stone, usually next to a
 CHARCOAL OR CHALK TO OUTLINE THE SHAPE OF THE SCULPTURE
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