Soapstone, also known as steatite, is a metamorphic rock . It tends to be a very soft rock, and is therefore easily worked into forms such as bowls, pipes, or figurines. Many Native Americans once used soapstone to make cooking vessels because of the ease in carving and the fact that it holds heat well.
There are two different kinds of stone, popularly called soapstone; Talc, which is a softer stone, used for carvings, and Steatite, wich is harder than Talc, used for countertops, fireplaces, ovens and etc.
The Soapstone carvings from Kenya, East Africa, also known as Kissi stone, are a beautiful way to adorn your home with a smooth, eclectic look. The Gusii and Abigusii ethnic groups individually hand carve each of these one of a kind pieces. The craftsman first mine the soapstone from the hills around the village of Tabaka and then, using knives or handmade tools, they individually carve each piece. After carving, the figure is wet-sanded and then polished, all by hand. To form the colors they dye the stone and then incise it with the patterns the individual artist desires.
The digging of these rocks is done using crude method, which is labour intensive. Due to the market potential and the easy availability of this natural resource commodity, many Kisii people have come to rely on it as one of their major soure of income.
The trade of soapstone comprises both the men and the women, young and old. Traditionally, it is men who do the digging of the stone from the mines or the quarry as well as carving the products in the required designs. The women's part involves polishing and washing the finished products as well as applying the shinning wax cream popularly known as cobra wax. Though soapstone is a leading export product, it happens to be a very fragile commodity, which requires extra care particularly, when it comes to handling and exporting or transferring the finished product from the rural areas to Nairobi and even to the port of destination be it in Kenya's Mombasa port or overseas.
Adorn your home with one of these traditional, one of a kind pieces of artwork and display the ingenuity and talent of these traditional African artisans.
|
