Why this Rocks

This Butter Jade Fish Shona sculpture by artist Edmore Chijumani comes from Chitungniza, Zimbabwe.

Shona Sculpture gets its name from the ‘Shona’ tribe of people, who are the largest tribe in Zimbabwe.

Butter Jade, also known as Butterstone or African Jade is a stone used to soothe the heart, bring peaceful sleep and a warming sense of calm.

It is an ancient stone found in the green stone belt of south Africa.

Shona Sculpture History:

In 1957, Frank McEwen was appointed as the first curator of the new National Gallery in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe). He had previously been curator at the Musée Rodin, Paris and had links with various artists of the time, including Picasso (who was himself heavily influenced by African art) and Matisse.

McEwen was impressed with the talent of some of the artists he met in Zimbabwe, and he encouraged to sculpt. Because of his contacts in the international art world, he was able to give the movement that later became known as ‘Shona sculpture’ (after Zimbabwe’s most numerous tribe) its first international exposure. McEwen encouraged the artists to look inward, to find their so-called ‘tribal subconsciousness’ and express it through their art. Much of the early work was inspired by Shona mythology.

Dimensions:

The sculpture measures approx. 18″ wide, 10 1/4″ tall, 1 3/4″ at its thickest. The stand measures approx. 14″ long, 6 1/2″ wide and 1″ tall.

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