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Zimbabwean artists carve their sculptures from the indigenous stone that permeates the country and exhibits an array of hues. Some of this stone comes from the Great Dyke, a 2.5-billion-year-old linear geological feature of metal-bearing rock that spans the center of Zimbabwe. Many of the sculptures in this exhibition are made from one of two locally sourced stones—opal stone or springstone. Opal stone is a softer, milky-light-green or brownish serpentine with a fine, smooth texture and nearly translucent surface that may be speckled with other colors. Sculptors enjoy using it because it is not as hard as springstone and polishes to a high sheen with a rich coloring and texture. Springstone, on the other hand, is one of the hardest serpentine stones used in carving and also displays a high sheen when polished. See "Stone Sculpture of Zimbabwe" on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal and online at: https://bit.ly/ZimbabweSculpture
This image was posted on June 29, 2022.